E-Mail: drosenbaum@independence.com
Disclaimer: Buffy et al belongs to Joss Whedon, the WB, and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement intended.
Distribution: TPWFLD. Angel of Mine.
Feedback: Any and all highly appreciated.
Spoilers: Everything through Becoming 1/2.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part 1~
"Mommy!"
"Mommmmmmyyyyyyy!"
"Aren't you awake yet Mom? Daddy said it's time to get up."
"Ugh." Willow groaned, rolled over and opened her eyes slowly. "Sweetie, what did Mommy tell you about jumping up and down on the bed?"
"Red, are you up?" A man's voice drifted from elsewhere in the house; her husband.
"I'm up. Honey, can you grab my robe from the bathroom?" she asked. Sitting up she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.
"Mom, you know I can't reach that high yet." Her daughter stood at the foot of the bed with her hands on her hips.
"That's right. Can't you use your fairy wings to fly up and get it?" Willow teased. She burst out laughing at the confused look on her daughter's face.
"Yesterday Daddy said I was a pixie, is that the same thing?"
************************************************************************
"Willow? Will, come on, its time to go." She was jerked out of her dream by Oz's gentle prodding. She had fallen asleep at his house. They had rented Event Horizon and despite the mounting suspense of the plot, her exhausted body and mind had succumbed to sleep, encircled in Oz's arms. The credits were rolling and the VCR clock told her it was almost one in the morning.
"Damn" she muttered sitting upright, rubbing the cobwebs of sleep from her eyes. They were supposed to relieve Xander and Cordelia at the cemetery in 5 minutes. All summer, awaiting the Slayer's return, the four slayerettes had been taking shifts patrolling the local vamp hot spots. Fortunately, with the disappearance of Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla the minions had been laying low. Nevertheless, they continued their nightly changing of the guard; it was the least they could do for Giles.
Buffy's departure had left Giles a broken man. In the past six months he had suffered the loss of his love (Jenny) and his passion (Buffy). Not to mention the torture they had all gone through at the hands of the various demons that arose from the Hellmouth. Giles blamed himself for everything, and he hadn't smiled or laughed in months.
Willow and Oz arrived at the cemetery to find Xander and Cordelia getting hot and heavy on a headstone. Oz found a twig and stepped on it to warn the two teens of their approach.
Immediately the two young love birds pulled apart, flushed and breathing hard.
"Hey guys." Xander was the first to speak.
"Hey back." Willow smiled mischievously. "Any action, besides the obvious?"
"Huh?" Xander looked confused. "Oh, no action, a completely actionless kind of night."
"Here Xand, wipe off your lipstick, red is not your color." Cordelia giggled as she handed Xander a tissue.
"Thanks hon." Xander started removing the stain off his lips "Oh 'action. Ha ha Will, I get it. Very puny!"
"I thought so too." Oz leaned over and kissed his girlfriend on the nose.
"But seriously, Sunnydale has become quite vampire deficient this summer." Cordelia intoned. "But you won't hear me complain. Well, have a good one guys. Xander!" she commanded. He quickly grabbed her hand and the pair walked away.
"Well what are we going to do as we await the various undead?" Oz smirked while creeping closer to Willow. As he wrapped his arm around her waist Willow jumped two feet in the air and let out a startled yelp.
"Whoa, Wills, what's going on, it's just me?" Oz looked hurt.
Willow quickly recovered, though a confused look remained on her face. "Sorry Oz, I've been having some weird dreams lately and they have me really wigged." Willow grabbed his hand and searched his face for forgiveness.
"You mean nightmares?"
"No not nightmares, these are good dreams filled with fairies and pixies and all sorts of goodness."
"Well, than they're not a problem." Oz smiled as he leaned in to snatch a kiss.
"But they just seem so important."
"Like prophecy dreams? You aren't turning into a Slayer are you?"
"No, not like Buffy's dreams. They're more like real life. I mean they're pretty banal, just every day occurrences, but..." she trailed off.
"But?" Oz prodded.
"They just feel so real, more like memories than dreams. But they can't be memories because in all of them I'm married and I have a daughter and I know that hasn't happened yet."
"Who are you married to?" Oz's tone was suggestive.
"Not to you." Willow blurted out without thinking. Seeing the hurt look in his eyes she reached out and grabbed his hand in hers. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded, and they're just dreams anyway." Oz removed her hand and started pacing around the cemetery. "Oz?" <great I blew it, a guy says he loves me and two days later I am telling him we have no future. They're just dreams>.
"It's the werewolf thing isn't it?" Oz accused.
"What? No! Oz we've discussed the werewolf thing and you know I'm okay with that. It's only a dream, I'm sorry I brought it up. Dreams don't always have meanings." <Unless you live on the Hellmouth>.
"So who is he?" Oz asked.
"Huh?!"
"Who is this 'dream husband' that has you so preoccupied?"
"I don't know, and he doesn't have me preoccupied. I was thinking more about my daughter." Willow explained. "My 'dream daughter'. " She quickly corrected herself.
"Than how do you know it's not me?" Oz questioned.
"It just didn't feel like you. Anyway we're not getting married anytime soon, to each other or to anyone else." <Drop it Oz, please! >.
"You're right. I'm sorry, I guess these late nights are making me cranky. I can't wait for Buffy to get back and for things to go back to normal." He snatched up her hand again and started walking. "Patrolling we will go." He sing-songed, flashing Willow an almost sincere smile.
"Hi ho the derry-o..." Willow chimed in.
The night passed
uneventfully.
~Part 2~
<Where is that child? > Willow stepped off the porch into the yard. The moon was full and the night smelled of rain. She quickly turned towards the sound of childish laughter accompanied by a man's deep laugh.
"Mommy, come dance with me, Daddy is tired." Her daughter beckoned. "The moon is singing. Can you hear her? She wants us to dance."
"How can I refuse such an invitation; to dance under the full moon with such a precious child?" Willow kicked off her shoes and walked over to her daughter. Joining hands they formed a small circle and the young red head led her mother in a twirl around the garden.
"Daddy, can you hear the moon sing?"
"Yes, precious." A voice from behind. Willow turned towards the figure of her husband hidden in the shadow of an elm tree.
"Come dance with us." Willow beckoned.
"My clumsy feet will do a huge injustice to your graceful ballet."
"Mommy, can you hear the moon? Isn't her voice pretty?"
Willow smiled in reply. She did hear the moon sing, and the song made her want their dance to last forever:
By the moon we sport and play; With the night begins our day; As we dance the dew doth fall- Trip it little urchins all; Lightly as the little bee, Two by two, and three by three, And about go we, and about go we. (--LYLIE, Maydes' Metamorphoses)
************************************************************************
Willow walked into the library with a skip in her step. The dream she had last night had left her feeling light and giddy. She couldn't get the song out of her head. Each time she recited it as if she had known the rhyme all her life. <I can't wait until the next full moon. >
At the table Cordelia was hard at work looking things up in a musty book. Giles and Xander were sitting at the computer and both seemed frustrated.
"Hi guys. Sorry I'm late, I overslept. I was having a wonderful dream and you know how you just don't want to wake up from those dreams but deep down inside you know you should but you stay a little longer until the nagging voice telling you to wake up goes away and once that voice goes away, well... " Willow stopped her ramble when she noticed the amused looks on her friend's faces.
"Do you practice run on sentences or do they just come naturally?" Cordelia quipped.
"Well naturally, I think?" That's when she noticed Giles, the man who had hardly been able to mumble a hello for the past three months, was smiling. Not just smiling but grinning from ear to ear. "Giles?" She quickly gave Cordelia a questioning glance.
"Oh, we heard from Buffy. Well Giles did." Cordelia offered.
"What!?! And you guys didn't call me right away? What did she say? Is she okay? Is she coming back? When? Where is she? Did she call her mom? Is..."
"Whoa, little Miss 'Inquiring Mind', sit down, take a load off and let the G-man tell all." Xander cut her off mid sentence. All eyes turned to the Watcher.
"Yes, well, umm..." the typical Giles sentence starter, "she called here this morning and said not to worry, she said, well, she said she needed some 'me time' but she'll be returning early next week."
"That's all she said?" Willow asked.
"Well she said something about her dreams and asked me to research the 'Away'."
"The 'Away'? Is that a demon?"
"Sounds more like a place to me." Xander put his two cents in.
"She wasn't sure, but she said that she has been keeping an extensive journal of her dreams and she said that the 'wee ones' told her that the um... the key was in the 'Away'." Giles attempted to explain.
"The key to what?" Willow was confused.
"Duh Willow. What has Buffy always obsessed about?" Cordelia gave Willow her famous 'you dork' look.
"You mean Angel? The key to releasing him from Hell?"
"Are we back on this subject?" Xander exclaimed, jumping up, arms flailing. "Why can't we just let Dead-Boy die horribly like he deserved?" Xander stormed off into the stacks.
"Giles, do you really think there is a way to release him?" Willow looked at the Watcher hopefully.
"Well Willow, perhaps. I feel that we have exhausted every other possible avenue mentioned in the texts. Unless, yes well... Buffy's dreams might not have anything to do with Angel. I suggest we research the, um, 'Away' and wait until her return before we speculate any further." Giles stepped away from the computer and motioned for Willow to have a seat.
"The 'Away'. Hmm..." Willow began a Web search. In less than an hour she found the reference she had been searching for.
"Guys." The slayerettes gathered around the computer.
"Okay, this is from a site called A Dictionary of Faeries: 'Away' is a euphemistic term used for those women taken by the fairies, either to be fairy lovers or fairy midwives. Sometimes they are taken for life; sometimes for the span of seven years. Occasionally they could be won back from faery land through means." Willow beamed, proud of her find.
"Well fairies could be the 'wee people' right?" Xander asked.
"Huh... um... yes... " Giles grabbed a book of folklore off a shelf. "According to this, fairies are referred to by several different names depending on the region the lore originated. Some examples include; Little People, the Green Men, the Good Folk, the Lordly Ones, the Gentry... yes here we are, also commonly called the Wee Folk."
"So now Buffy is getting visions from fairies, and she thinks that they took Angel to 'fairy-land' to be a midwife?" Cordelia attempted to interpret. "And what's with the 'they could be won back through means'? What means? "
"Well, we shouldn't jump to any conclusions. We do not know that this has anything to do with Angel." Xander reminded them all. "Right Giles?" All three teens looked towards Giles for an explanation.
"Yes, well no, I mean correct... Xander is correct." Xander puffed up like a rooster. "Now that we have a starting point we mustn't assume anything. Let's continue researching fairies and this practice of 'Away'." With that Giles returned to his office and the research continued.
Giles emerged from his office three hours later, and the four compared notes. Between them they had compiled an impressive amount of Fairy folklore and legends, but they were no closer to figuring out the significance of Buffy's dreams. When Willow started yawning Giles called it a day, dismissing everyone from patrolling duties as well.
As they left the library Xander grabbed Cordelia's hand while slinging his other arm over Willow's shoulders. "So we have the night off. I say we go home, put on some polyester and meet at the Bronze where we can boogey oogey oogey 'till we just can't boogey no more."
"Yay Bronze!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"I'm gonna pass guys. Oz is at his cousins and I could definitely use the extra sleep." <And maybe a nice peaceful dream...>
"Are you sure Will? This may be the last chance you get before the fairies come to take 'Away' all the women of Sunnydale and make you deliver their babies." He teased.
"Well if you put it that way... No. You two have a great time, I'll see you here tomorrow in full research mode."
Xander and Cordelia
drove away as Willow walked the short distance to her house. It was still
early and all the neighborhood children were playing outside. The noise
reminded Willow of her dreams and she decided to sit on the porch swing
and watch the kids play for a while. It took her all of two minutes to
fall asleep.
~Part 3~
Willow walked from room to room searching for her daughter. She opened closets and looked under beds to no avail. <That girl is getting too good at this game>.
"I wonder where my daughter is. It would be a shame if she were gone forever. Now who's going to help me eat that double fudge ice cream?" Willow couldn't suppress a smile. <Ice cream gets her every time>.
After a few minutes passed with no sign of the child Willow decided to change tactics. Second to ice cream her daughter loved bubble baths. Willow walked over to the bathroom in the master bedroom and started filling the tub. When the bath was filled to the rim with lavender scented bubbles she stepped into the hot water and closed her eyes. <Any second now>. Willow opened her eyes when she heard a giggle beside her.
"I know you're not sleeping Momma." The voice belonged to her daughter, but the girl was no where to be found.
"I'm just enjoying this bubbly bath." Willow grinned. "Of course only one thing would make it even better. But I guess you're too busy to join me." Willow's eyes widened as her daughter materialized before her eyes. At first a faint outline appeared and was quickly covered by a silvery sheen. Slowly colors appeared, first red, then blue, and then yellow. The colors began swirling together getting brighter and bolder. Finally like a paint-by-number canvas each color found its proper place, transforming the translucent image into a solid form.
"Do I still win?" The girl jumped into the bathtub sloshing water all over the floor. Willow was too stunned to answer.
"Amazing." Both redheads turned to the bathroom door. "Her glamour is getting stronger by the day." Angel walked to the tub.
"May I join you ladies?" He asked. "Willow, why are you crying?"
************************************************************************
"Angel!" The cry escaped Willows lips as she woke from her dream.
"No, not an angel but a Fairy am I." A melodic voice answered. "But you are not the first to be mistaken. At home many say that the deenee shee are fallen angels who were not good enough to be saved, nor bad enough to be lost."
Willow squinted at the small form standing before her. The sun had set and the porch light had not been yet been turned on.
"Is that you Matthew?" Willow questioned the form, assuming it was one of the neighborhood kids.
"Aye, if you must call me Matthew, than to Matthew I shall answer. My mother however has always called me Teig. But Matthew is a fine name, a fine name indeed."
As Willows eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw a small man standing before her. He had curly hair and his eyes possessed an unnatural glow. Though the mans face was flawless, Willow could tell that he was considerably older than the child she had first mistaken him for. Before she could finish her assessment the man hopped onto the swing beside her, crossed his legs, and pulled a pipe from his back pocket.
"May I?" Teig questioned. Willow had not yet found her voice so she just nodded. "I know many say this is quite the nasty habit but I find it very relaxing."
With that the man inhaled deeply, expanding his cheeks so far Willow thought he would burst. He then put the end of the pipe into his mouth and audibly released all the stored air in his lungs. In a flash the porch was full of rainbow colored bubbles and Willow couldn't stop herself from smiling. She reached out her hand to catch one and to her surprise it did not burst, rather it remained perched on her hand.
Mesmerized by the swirling colors <just like in my dream> Willow fixed her gaze on what seemed like movement inside the small sphere. As her eyes adjusted to the minute images she could make out rolling green hills and a river. In the river she could barely make out the forms of children swimming.
"'Tis a beauty, is it not?" Willow's trance was broken by the comment from the man to her left.
"Yes. What is it? Where is this place? Who are you? A Fairy? Can I help you?" The questions came pouring out of Willow's mouth.
"'Tis a looking glass. Ireland. Teig. In the flesh. So says Mab." The small man finished with a grin.
"Huh?" Willow was very confused. She slowly matched his jumble of answers to her jumble of questions. The man just kept on grinning, stopping to blow another batch of bubbles skyward, and then grinned some more.
"Your name is Teig, and you're a fairy from Ireland. This", Willow pointed at the bubble still in her hand, "is Ireland in a bubble that is really a looking glass, like in Alice in Wonderland." She glanced at the man. He simply kept grinning. Willow continued. "Mab visits people in their dreams, I think, so I am dreaming?" Teig stopped grinning.
"Lassie, you are right and you are wrong. I will attempt to explain, but you must follow carefully. I, as all fairies, detest repetition unless one is singing, in which case it is necessary, and encouraged." With that the man leapt off the swing and stood face to face with Willow.
"I am, for the last time, Teig. I am a fairy, from Ireland of course. All fairies are from Ireland. Sure we travel about this world to and fro, the world is quite a wonder, but home to all fairy folk is in Ireland, in the country called Tir-na-n-Og. Very badly translated as Country of the Young. It is there we all hang our red hats, or green if you have the misfortune of being a leprechaun. Ah... How I miss it. It is our Garden of Eden, where flowers are always in full bloom, and there is eternal feasting and dancing." Teig paused and glanced at Willow. What he saw made him grin again.
"Aye, you are a bright child; I can see it in your eyes. And such eyes, oh the beauty in such eyes. No creature has eyes like those possessed by the descendants of Mab. But in you there is more; you posses the fairy's fire. That comes from your great-grandfather. Part fairy, part midwife, part mortal. Yes you are the one to complete this task. Mab has chosen wisely." Before Willow knew what was happening the fairy clasped her face in his hands and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "For luck." He stood back and Willow could have sworn he was glowing.
Flustered, but amused, Willow tried to speak. "Mab? Descendant? Luck?" <Coherence would be good Willow>. She gave up and just stared at the diminutive man in front of her. He had stopped glowing and seemed ready to continue his tale.
"This is not a dream, but yes, Mab is the fairy midwife of dreams. She is employed by the fairies to deliver dreams to men. She was a favored mortal among the fairies in her village, and in return for her service she was granted residence in Tir-na-n-Og. Her loyalties lie with all fairies but especially with our King and Queen. She is most respected among all of the worlds creatures, none will raise a hand against her, and all do as she bids." Teig paused and looked around at the porch. He put the pipe to his mouth again and blew a new stream of bubbles. "Much better, don't you agree?" He continued without waiting for an answer.
"So you, Willow, are a descendant of Mab. Quite an honor, and not to be taken lightly. Mab has sent me here to ask for your help in fixing a wrong. This wrong was done many years ago and has been fixed once before only to be made wrong once again."
"My great-grandfather was a fairy?"
"Wretched girl, I told you not to make me repeat myself." Willow was taken aback by the harsh words. "Your great-grandfather IS a fairy, and a fine one. Now stop bothering me with foolish questions and listen child. Maybe you're not as bright as I thought."
<Well aren't we temperamental>. Willow thought to herself. She smartly chose to remain quiet though; as bizarre as this conversation was Willow was enchanted by the fairy and his story. <Maybe he knows about my dreams. Maybe he knows about Buffy's dreams. Maybe he can help Angel...> Her thoughts were cut short by the sharp smack of the pipe across her cheek.
"Ow!" Willow yelped. "What was that for?" She brought her hand to her stinging cheek.
"You were thinking too loud child."
"You could read my mind?"
"But of course lass, I am a fairy. Now hush and listen, time is of the essence and we have much to do." He brushed his hand across her cheek and the pain went away immediately. He glanced at Willow and scowled when he saw the hurt look in her eyes.
"My sincere regrets child. Fairies are not tolerant by nature, and we expect those mortals with whom we interact to be sharp of mind and attentive. We do not, however, hesitate in executing swift discipline if a mortal mind strays from the business at hand. It is actually quite a rarity that we find one worth disciplining." The grin was back.
Willow could not resist the sincere look on the fairy's face and nodded her head in understanding. <I am so the 'honored one' tonight>. The thought slipped out before she could stop herself. Willow quickly lowered her eyes in way of apology. When she looked back up the fairy had the pipe back in his mouth.
"Quick learner. Yes, you are definitely the right choice." Teig blew into the pipe. This time only one bubble floated into the air. It hovered in the air in front of Willow. Inside she once again saw green hills, a river, and children splashing around. "This is a looking glass." Teig continued. "We use this to see what we wish, past, present and future. In here you can see Ireland, a small village on the outskirts of Dublin in the year 1731. Look closely and watch what unfolds."
Willows eyes focused on the bubble as Teig began singing softly.
To and fro we leap, And chase the frothy bubbles, While the world is full of troubles. And is anxious in its sleep. Come away! O, human child! To the woods and waters wild, With a fairy hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than You can understand. (-W.B. Yeats, The Stolen Child)
Entranced by the
fairy's sweet voice, Willow watched the scene inside the bubble; soon she
found herself unable to look away. Time stopped, and her world became the
bubble and she became a wandering spirit in that world. Willow lost all
solid form and floated about in the world of the bubble, a silent observer.
~Part 4~
"Patrick, gather your sister and get out of that river. Midsummer Eve is upon us and we must prepare for the festivities." A short plump woman stood at the riverbank with her hands on her hips. The young boy waved his arms in understanding. Satisfied she turned around, lifted a bundle of twigs and started up the path towards the estate.
"Bridget, stop splashing about. We need to go get dressed and prepare the bonfires." Patrick climbed out of the river.
"Patty, do you think the good Lady Anna will let me dance with the Good Folk tonight?" Bridget asked her brother as they gathered their clothes strewn about the rocks lining the riverbank.
"I don't know sister, but I would hope so." The two children proceeded up the path. "You turned seven this past winter, and that was my age when I was first invited to dance among the Good Folk."
"Oh I know. Every year past I've watched from the window." Bridget skipped in circles around her brother. "I know all the dances, and I can sing all the songs."
Patrick smiled at her. A mere two years before it had been him bouncing up and down in anticipation. All the village children yearned for the day when they are invited to dance around the bonfires on the hills in honor of St. John. For most children this was their first encounter with the Good Folk, and if you behaved properly, and were happy from the bottom of your heart than the Good Folk would favor you for the rest of your life.
"We will make you look extra pretty, and you must be full of glee and merriment as you work. Smile. Hum. Sing. Dance. Only the happiest children are asked to join." Patrick grabbed his sister's hand.
"We could dance together then, right Patty?" Bridget looked up at the brother she adored.
"Yes little one. And what an honor it would be to have such a beauty dancing with me." He grabbed her around the waist and they twirled the rest of the way up the path.
~ Night fall ~
"Children, hush! Here comes our Lady to select tonight's dancers." The plump woman from the riverbank quieted the excited children before her. All the village children were gathered in the courtyard dressed in their most festive outfits. The air was thick with anticipation. "Now those that are chosen, you must hurry to the top of the hill for the lighting of the bonfire. Those that are not, go straight to bed." She turned as Lady Anna Duffy stepped into the courtyard.
Lady Anna was by far the most beautiful woman in all of Ireland. Her dark hair flowed in soft curls down her back. Her eyes were the lightest shade of brown, almost honey colored, and they sparkled with joy. She always had a smile on her flawless face, and as she neared the children it seemed to widen even more.
"Look at all these young beauties. If only you could all come dance with me tonight. Alas, I must choose only a dozen." Lady Anna scanned the children before her. "One by one come here and kiss me upon my cheek. The children whose kisses are the sweetest will run up the hill with me tonight." She knelt down on the grass before the children and opened her arms wide.
"M'lady, your dress." The plump maid ran to her mistresses' side.
"Begone Susan!" Lady Anna dismissed the red-faced maid. "Tonight we celebrate all the beauty of Mother Nature. To kneel in the lush carpet of green she so kindly provides is a privilege and a pleasure. Our condescending ways of chair and table are to be put aside. Now children, let us begin."
One by one each child approached Lady Anna and kissed her on the cheek. By the time all were done her cheeks were flushed, but her smile wider than before. She chose the twelve that would accompany her up the hill, and with Bridget in the lead they all clasped hands and followed their Lady to where the bonfire sat, ready to be ignited.
As the bonfires were lit a night of dancing and singing commenced. At midnight the Good Folk started to appear, each chose a villager to dance with and soon the hill was full of such pairings. Lady Anna was the only one left without a fairy partner, but she continued dancing about, her euphoria apparent in the gleam of her eyes and the glide of her feet. Young Bridget, noticing her mistress dancing alone questioned the fairy that had her in his arms. "Why do none of the Good Folk choose to dance with Lady Anna? She is the fairest, and most honored lady in all of Ireland."
"Aye sweet lass, that she is." The fairy answered as they continued dancing. "As such she is favored by King Oberon himself. Only the good King can dance with Lady Anna on Midsummer Eve."
"So the King will be joining our bonfire tonight?" Bridget could not contain her excitement. The fairy nodded and began singing once again.
As the fire started to burn low and the pink and yellow hues of the rising sun appeared in the sky King Oberon made his appearance. All the dancers slowed their feet and watched as he approached Lady Anna. Bowing his head he reached for her hand and planted a soft kiss on the inside of her palm. Lady Anna curtsied deeply, and the King grabbed her about the waist. All assumed that the dance would continue, but a collective gasp was heard as the King lifted Lady Anna and placed her over his shoulder. In a flash the couple had disappeared.
All around the bonfire a low mumble began. All dancing stopped as the voices became more audible:
"He's taken her away..." "...to Tir-na-n-Og." "What of Queen Titania?" "...when Lord Duffy returns..."
Bridget ran over to her brother. "Patrick what has happened?"
"King Oberon has taken Lady Anna to Faery Land to be his bride. Never before has the King chosen a mortal bride." Patrick explained to the best of his knowledge. "Now Lady Anna must stay as the King's bride for seven years."
"But Patty, Lady Anna is Lord Duffy's bride. All the village attended their wedding last year." Her confusion showed on her face.
"Yes, but the Good Folk do not respect our mortal unions. They take away those women they fancy. The only way the Lord can win her back is by finding the hidden country of Tir-na-n-Og." They followed the procession down the hill. The bonfire had burned out and the festivities ended.
"So we must all help the Lord find this place, and then we can have our sweet Lady Anna back." Bridget proclaimed with confidence.
"Oh little sister, if only it was that easy. You see Tir-na-n-Og is the favorite dwelling of the Good Folk. Many men have gone in search of it, and many have claimed to have caught a glimpse, however the land disappears as they approach it. The descriptions are always different. Some have seen an underwater land, some an island. Many have followed underground passageways only to return to the place they began. The Good Folk have hidden their home well."
~ Seven years later ~
"Oh my! Patrick come here quickly." A teenage Bridget called her brother. Patrick came running into the bedroom to find his sister leaning out of the window.
"Look Patty, look! It's Lord Duffy returning from his quest." Bridget leaned even further out the window. "Lady Anna! Thank goodness! Patrick, Lady Anna is with him!" With the last her feet left the ground, and Patrick rushed forward to grab her skirts to keep her from falling two stories into the courtyard. Once he felt confident that his sister was well balanced he joined her at the window. Glancing toward the hill where tonight a bonfire would be lit for St. John he spotted a white horse descending towards the estate.
"She is as beautiful as I remember." Patrick commented spotting the long lost Lady Anna astride the horse. Leading the horse, on foot, was a very tired and sad looking Lord Duffy. "My, but the Lord's quest must have been difficult. I hope he tells us of his quest. I can hardly wait." He turned towards his sister.
"Bridget?" He spun around in time to see his sister charge from the room and down the stairs.
"SUSAN! SUSAN!" Bridget ran out of the servant's quarters to the main house to inform the head maid of the return of the Lord and Lady.
By the time Lord and Lady Duffy reached the stables, all the estate servants had gathered in the courtyard. Their excited chatter ceased as the pair entered the courtyard and approached the waiting household.
Lord Duffy stepped forward and addressed the gathered crowd. "Today your mistress has returned home. I ask that you all treat her with kindness for the journey has left her quite weary." With that he turned to enter the main house.
Susan was the first to run to her Lady. Hardly able to contain her joy she flung herself into Lady Anna's arms and showered her with kisses. "M'lady, how we have all missed you. We have been awaiting your return."
"Yes, well enough chatter dearest Susan. We have much to prepare for tonight." Lady Anna pushed her loyal servant away. "Now, where is my Angel?"
"Excuse me M'lady? Your angel?" Susan stared at Lady Anna in bewilderment, hurt at how quickly she had been dismissed.
"Here he is. Come here little one." She reached behind her skirts and pulled a child around to the front of her. A mere six-years-old, the boy was waist high to his mother. He possessed the same dark hair as her, but his eyes were of a much darker shade of brown, almost black. He glanced at the small crowd before him and bowed deeply at the waist.
"Oh! What a charming young man. Susan at your service M'lord." Susan curtsied.
"I am no one's lord good lady. Angelus is my name, and Angel is what I wish to be called." With that the youngster retreated behind his mother's skirts once again.
"Lady Anna, not only are we blessed with your return, but you have brought the Lord an heir as well. Happy Day!" The maid could hardly contain her joy as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
"He is NOT the Lord's heir." Lady Anna hissed angrily. "Angelus was born to me from the love of King Oberon, and it would be wise that none forget that." Grabbing her son's hand the Lady walked into the main house.
"A half fairy?" Bridget whispered into her brothers' ear.
~ Night Fall ~
As the villagers and Good Folk danced around the bonfire once again in celebration of Midsummer Eve the level of merriment was elevated by the return of Lady Anna. All night the songs were louder and the dances swifter, and each participant wished the night would never end. As in the years before her disappearance, Lady Anna danced alone awaiting King Oberon. As the festival drew to a close and the last spark died on the bonfire embers, Lady Anna ran from the hill, tears streaming down her face. King Oberon had not visited that night.
She ran and ran through the forests surrounding her village. "Oberon! Sweet King! Why have you left me alone on this of all nights?" Receiving no answer she continued running, tripping often but unrelenting in her search. By noon she collapsed on a cliff edge overlooking the sea.
"I loved you well my King." She whispered. "I was taken away from you not by choice. Why have you forsaken me?" She raised her arms, palms facing skyward in a desperate plea. She once again crumbled into a heap on the grassy plain. Her body wracked by silent sobs she cried for hours and eventually fell asleep.
As the sun began his descent into the sea the Lady was awaken by a voice whispering her name. "Anna, my love." She slowly raised her head. Before her stood King Oberon. She rushed into his arms and buried her head in his shoulder. He allowed her to rest there for a few minutes, then slowly lifted her head. Cupping her face in both his hands he looked deep into her eyes.
"Anna, dearest heart. We can no longer be together. Your Lord has won you back, and custom does not allow me to pursue you again."
"NO!" She shouted. "I do not accept these customs. I belong with you, not with that weak mortal. I refuse to be his wife. I REFUSE!" She buried her head in his shoulder again, her arms tightening around his waist.
"You must my love. For our son. The Lord will be a good father to him and a good husband to you. You shall both be under my protection. I will not allow any harm to befall either of you. You and Angel are my world." With that he kissed her gently on the lips. Pulling away he brushed the tears off her cheeks and smiled. "I will always cherish our time together." With a final kiss he vanished from her sight. His disappearance brought on a fresh onslaught of tears to her eyes.
"Lady Anna!" The voice of Lord Duffy came drifting through the forest behind her. In a panic she started crawling away from the sound of his voice. She reached the cliff's edge and stopped. Lord Duffy broke through the trees and came running towards his wife. "Thank goodness I found you."
"STOP! COME NO FURTHER!" She shouted at him.
"My Lady. My love. Please come away from there. I am here to take you home. Enough with this foolish behavior. You have a beautiful son that woke up this morning and wandered around the house crying for his mother. If you no longer love me, I understand, but your son..." He trailed off, his desperate plea continuing in his eyes.
"My son. Angel. My Lord can you love my son? Can you treat him as your own?" She gazed deep into his eyes to find her answer. "Yes. I can already see the love you hold for him in your soul." Duffy merely nodded his head in agreement.
Slowly, Lady Anna stood up, the tears drying on her cheeks. She walked over to her husband and clasped both his hands in hers. "Lord, I do love you. You were my first love, and I would have been happy with you unconditionally." The spark of happiness in his eyes brought a tear to hers.
"By no fault of yours I was taken away and my heart captured by one whose love has given me more joy than any mortal could ever hope for. I have been spoiled, and for this I must pay the price." She watched that spark die. Leaning forward she kissed her husband on the lips.
"I have been cursed. I shall forever be denied the love of an immortal, and mortal love no longer stirs me. Without love this world holds no meaning." She let go of his hands and walked closer to the cliff edge. Through his curtain of pain Duffy glimpsed his wife's intentions and hurried to her side.
"STOP!" Her cry rang out once again. The Lord froze in his tracks. "You can not stop this. I cannot continue suffering. Look at me after only one day, by next Midsummer Eve I shall barely be alive. You must let me go husband." Her eyes pleaded with him.
"But I love you M'lady. Our time together was so short, can't we at least try again?" The tears flowed freely down his face. "I searched for you for seven years. I never gave up hope. When the time to challenge came I proved my worth, and you were returned to me. I can not lose you again."
"You lost me seven years ago." She turned her back to him and gazed at the rocks below. "Please give my Angel all the love he deserves." With that she spread her arms out wide and walked over the edge.
From deep inside
the forest arose the wail of a banshee.
Part 5
~ The Funeral ~
Lord Duffy stood at the foot of his wife's grave. "Goodbye, my love. I shall fulfill your last wish and love the boy unconditionally." He whispered as tears fell from his eyes onto the fresh dirt mound. He slowly turned back to survey the groups of huddled mourners that had attended the funeral. Scanning the crowds his eyes finally rested on the figure of Angel clinging onto Bridget's hand. He began the descent towards the estate, intent on relieving Bridget of the boy, and spending a quiet evening getting to know him better. "He is now my son." He smiled at the warm feeling those simple words gave him.
Drawing nearer to the boy he spotted a cluster of people approaching the grave. It was the Good Folk come to pay their respects to the beloved Lady Anna. Two figures broke off from the gathering and came towards him. He recognized them immediately, and he worked hard to suppress the anger boiling in him. Lord Duffy bowed at the waist and greeted the man and woman before him, "King Oberon, Queen Titania, blessed be my mortal household to receive your honored presence in our midst." The formal greeting was said through clenched teeth.
"Rise Lord Duffy." The Queen briefly touched the shoulder of the man before her. "We have come to share in your sorrow." She recited the last without feeling. When Duffy met her gaze he was greeted with an icy stare. Resisting the urge to shiver, he quickly shifted his focus to the King. He wanted to blame the Fairy King for his wife's death. Lord Duffy attempted to duplicate the ice-cold stare he had received from the Queen and direct it towards Oberon. Sadly he lowered his head; he found it impossible to rekindle his initial anger at the sight of tears threatening to overflow from the King's eyes. Instead he turned away and continued on his path towards Angel.
The King stared after the retreating Lord, and when his eyes fell on his son he smiled despite his sadness. "My son." The words escaped his lips.
Queen Titania, upon hearing her husband's uttering grabbed a hold of his arm and proclaimed. "Time to leave, we have paid our respects." Immediately the court of fairies gathered behind the two royals, ready to depart.
"You go Queen, I shall stay here longer. It is our duty to provide comfort to these mourners." King Oberon easily slipped his arm out of his wife's grasp.
"Your place is by my side King, not with these mortals. I want to leave now, I can not abide this pathetic display of human emotions a moment longer." She hissed at Oberon, her hand, claw like, regaining its hold on his arm.
"When did you lose your compassion? These mortals, and their love of us, is all that keeps us on this plane. We must show them the same respect they show us. If it is your wish to leave Queen, so be it. I shall stay." He glared at her with angry eyes.
"When did I lose my compassion? When you fell in love with HER. You abandoned our kingdom and me for that weak mortal. You loved her, and she didn't even love life, she abandoned it with such ease. How can you feel compassion for one as that? And her son, he too is weak, and you should leave him to his sorry existence, son of a traitor to all that is pure. Her sin against Mother Nature is reflected in his eyes." Queen Titania spat at her husband, her anger exceeding his.
"My heart aches for you. Your bitterness is what pushed me to love another, and even after her passing you grow worse. I can no longer stand by your side, that would be a greater sin against Mother Nature." Once again removing his arm from her clutch he turned to the court gathered behind them. "Take the Queen home, I shall stay." Ignoring the hatred he felt directed at him from his wife he walked towards the estate and his son.
Lord Duffy, aware of the Fairy King's presence by his side, grabbed Angel closer to him and slowly turned to acknowledge Oberon. "So kind of you and yours to attend." Despite his sorrow he could not keep the sour edge from his tone.
Oberon saw the apparent pain in the man before him and chose to stay quiet. Instead he turned to Angel. "How are you sweet child?"
Glancing to Lord Duffy for permission to speak, and receiving it in the form of a nod, Angel turned to Oberon. "My Mum is at peace they say. I hurt. But I am a strong little man." The innocence in his response brought tears to both men's eyes.
"Yes, I can see your strength. It shines from you, a gold glow." Oberon drew a circle in the air around the boy and the glow became visible. Angel reached his hand out to touch the gold, and giggled as it moved with him.
"You are a magician. Do more, please."
"Now son, we must let the King take his leave." Lord Duffy turned to Oberon. "I thank you once again."
"May I speak to you Lord, alone?" Oberon ignored the veiled dismissal.
"I have many guests to speak to, maybe another time." Duffy turned from the King.
"I beg of you, just a moment." Oberon pleaded.
"Angelus, go with Bridget to the house. I will be along shortly." Duffy gave the boy a hug and motioned for Bridget to take him. When they were out of earshot he turned once more to Oberon. "What do you want of me? Have you not done enough damage? Leave me and the boy to rebuild our lives." This time he did not conceal his anger towards the King.
"I would like to help with the rebuilding if you will allow it Lord. Before you answer let me voice my proposition. I loved Anna as much as you did, and our son even more. I know that by losing Anna and Angel to you I also lost my right as his father. The nature of the challenge has caused him to forget me, and I accept that. I also accept you as his father; I could not find a better one in all of Ireland. I see your love and devotion to the boy, and I know you will provide him with the best life possible." Oberon paused, searching Duffy's face, but finding it still set in anger. "I shall never challenge you as Angel's father. I just ask that you allow me to befriend him."
"I do not understand your request. If you happen to encounter the boy, and you treat him amicably and he responds in kind, who am I to interfere?" Duffy asked suspiciously.
"I know your fear is that I will take the boy from you, as I took Anna. I vow that I shall never do so." Oberon watched as Duffy's demeanor relaxed at his words. "I would ask though, that you allow me the pleasure of watching your son grow."
"I still do not understand your request. He shall grow to be a fine man, I will see to it." Duffy was confused.
"What I ask Lord, most humbly, is to become part of your household so that I may watch him grow every day."
"The Fairy King asks to be my servant? Absurd. Mother Nature would never allow it." Duffy turned to walk away once more. Oberon ran forward and forced the other man to turn to him.
"You are right, it is absurd. I ask not to be your servant, just to reside on your estate. Allow me to live on your land and befriend the boy. You are his father, allow me the pleasure of being his friend." Oberon's sincerity was apparent in his tone.
"A fairy living on my land, the King of Fairies at that, hmmm. That would be an honor, and a blessing." Lord Duffy was amused to see Oberon bouncing with joy. "Let me tend to my guests, I shall meet you tonight at Anna's grave to discuss this further. I shall have certain conditions you must agree to."
"Anything Lord. I shall meet you tonight." With a quick wave of his hand King Oberon vanished.
"A fairy to protect us, why not?" Duffy mumbled to himself as he walked through the front gate of his estate.
~ Ten Years Later ~
"Lord Angel, time for supper." The young man turned away from his mother's grave at the sound of Susan's voice. He got up and placed a kiss on the cross mounted atop the headstone and started down the path. As he entered the house he quickly wiped the tears off his cheeks before approaching the table. He sat down across from his father and bowed his head for the blessing.
"Amen." Angel reached for the bowl of potatoes.
"So Son, have you had time to think about my offer?" Lord Duffy asked.
"I have Father. I am very excited about going to Galway to complete my studies. However, Obie thinks I should stay in the country and apply myself to working the land."
"That damn meddlesome fairy!" Angel started at his father's harsh tone.
"Father, you know better than to curse one of the Good Folk. You aren't being fair. Obie is a good friend to me, and I take it as a blessing that he has chosen Mother's grave as residence. I know that Mother was well loved by the Good Folk, Obie always speaks of her with a tear in his eye."
"He speaks of her, does he? And what does he say?" Lord Duffy was having a hard time controlling his anger.
"He has told me about her beauty and grace, especially when dancing. He speaks of the Midsummer Eve before I was born a lot. On some nights he creates a looking glass so that I may glimpse her in all her glory. She floats when she dances, did you know that Father? She was born to dance. How I miss her." Angel looked up from his plate to see his father violently push himself away from the table. "Father, what's wrong? Where are you going in the middle of supper?" Angel started to follow Lord Duffy out the door.
"Stay here boy, and finish your supper!" At his fathers barked command Angel stood at the doorway. He didn't return to the table, instead he watched his father march up the small path that led to the graveyard.
"OBERON!" Lord Duffy shouted as he reached his wife's grave.
From a small pile of stones a tiny figure emerged. Raising his hands over his head King Oberon whispered, "Grow." Instantly he was face to face with the angry Lord. "I am here, at your service."
"You miserable fairy, how dare you." Duffy spat at the Fairy King.
"What sin have I committed?"
"You begged me to allow you to reside at Anna's grave. You wanted to have a relationship with the boy, again I allowed it. There were conditions, you were NOT to tell him of his true nature."
"I didn't tell him. Has he found out?" The King's eyes sparkled with glee.
"He has not found out, and he will not find out, EVER! When you approached me in so much pain I took pity on you, we had both lost our true love. I set forward two rules: Angel will know only me as his father, and he will live his life as a mortal, not some foolish prancing fairy. You agreed, but now you have broken your promises, so I banish you from here. You will never see Angel again." Lord Duffy exuded hatred towards the fairy.
"Please Lord. I have always respected your wishes. I have not told him of his true parentage, nor have I encouraged his fairy nature. I love my… your son and cherish the honor of being his friend. I would not risk it for anything." Oberon bowed his head in an act of sincerity.
"Yet you tell him stories of fairy folly. You tempt him with displays of glamour. You discourage his mortality by advising him to stay in the countryside and serve Mother Nature. A mortal man serves God, not some weak female spirit." At Duffy's last words a bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck a nearby stone, shattering it into a thousand pieces.
"Mother, please forgive this foolish mortal, he doesn't know any better." Oberon quickly saved Lord Duffy's life before Nature showed him just how 'weak' she was.
"Apologies Mother." It was Duffy's turn to bow his head.
"Lord, you will soon learn that a fairy, even a half fairy, is powerless to deny his true nature. Angel feels the call of the Mother and every day it gets stronger. I need not encourage him, it is inevitable." After the light show Lord Duffy was too shaken to argue. Oberon felt safe to continue. "I once again beg M'lord to allow me to stay at Anna's grave. I promise to refrain from interfering. Angel is my life; I have forsaken my Queen and my kingdom just to be near him. I beseech you." With that the Fairy King knelt before the lord.
Duffy's anger had shattered with the stone. He too knelt, once again coming face to face with the fairy. Both men had tears in their eyes. "King, I can not deny you. I apologize for my anger but I fear losing my son; he is all I have left of Anna."
~ Five years later (1753) ~
"You have summoned me my Queen?" An elder woman knelt before a white rose, solitary and out of place in the heart of the forest. Each of the rose petals was perfectly formed, and glistened with early morning dew. Perched on the rose sat a silver winged butterfly as large as a human hand. Shifting patterns of color appeared momentarily on the wings, quickly replaced by a set of colors in a new pattern. At the sound of the old woman's voice the butterfly left the rose and started slowly flapping it's wings. With each forward motion the butterfly grew until it reached the size of the woman standing before it. With a final motion the butterfly wrapped its silver wings around itself and transformed into a beautiful woman.
"Mab, my most beloved servant. Rise fair lady." Queen Titania reached out her hand and helped the elder woman to her feet. "I have indeed summoned you, for you are the only one I can trust with the task at hand. You have proven your loyalty to me time and again. There is no one I trust more."
"I shall do all in my power for you dear Queen." Mab made herself comfortable in a makeshift chair formed by the branches of a near by tree. "Thank you father oak." She whispered.
"As all know, my husband has abandoned Tir-na-n-Og and myself, his wife. For fifteen years he has lived like an earthworm underneath a pile of rocks at the grave of Lady Anna Duffy. Fifteen years I have waited for his return. Every Midsummer Eve I approach my beloved king and beg him to come back to me, yet he refuses me again and again." The Queen's black eyes reflected her anger. "Do you know why he refuses Mab?"
"The Angel." Mab answered solemnly.
"Yes, that wretched halfling son of his, Angelus. I have given Oberon a hundred sons, each more powerful than the next, but he cannot even remember their names. Yet the half mortal" she spat out the word like a piece of rotten food, "he squalors in the mud for."
As the Queen continued speaking her anger became evident in her physical shape. From a beautiful woman she began transforming into a hideous demon. First her spine twisted until she was hunchbacked. Then her fingers elongated into claws. Her shiny black hair became coarse and her mouth was filled with fangs. Her eyes shone red, and her skin became green. Mab stood her ground unfazed by the display.
"That halfling has been away for five years now, but that fool still waits for his return. It ends today Mab, I will see him dead!" The Queen's voice had become the snorting growl of the boar.
Slowly Mab reached out and encircled Titania's clawed hands in her own. Staring into the red eyes of the creature before her Mab began humming an ancient tune meant to sooth the savage beast. Almost instantly the creature transformed back into the visage of a lovely woman, and calm descended on the Queen.
"My fair Queen. You must not worry any longer. I, Mab, will help you this night. The boy can not die, for with that act you will push your husband further away. Instead I shall call upon a demon friend to banish his soul. Devoid of soul Angel shall fall from grace and become a creature of the devil. Oberon will not be able to love him any longer, and he will seek your love to replace it. All shall return to be as it was." Mab searched Titania's eyes for understanding.
"Yes, dear Mab. You are wiser than I. With the loss of his precious halfling son not to death, but to the dark side my husband will be mine once again. Together we shall rule Faery Land as intended." In her dark eyes there shone a spark of hope. "Go quickly old woman, do as you have said. I shall go prepare for the return of my beloved." The Queen kissed Mab's cheek. Stepping away from the old lady she spun in a circle and immediately transformed back into the butterfly with the silver wings, and flew away.
~ That Night in Galway ~
"Demon, do you see the young lad stumbling about in the alley?" Mab addressed the blonde vampire.
"Why must you insist on calling me demon, though it is a title I cherish, we are friends Mab, call me Darla."
"Do not waste my time with your idle chit chat Demon. Go embrace that one," she pointed at a drunken Angel, "and take him far from here. Show him your world of death and destruction. He is a halfling you know. With his blood mingled in yours you will be unstoppable." Mab gave the vampire a shove in the right direction. She watched as the demon approached Angel.
When Mab heard the young man mutter: "Show me your world." She smiled, satisfied, and vanished.
~ One Week Later ~
King Oberon stood over the pale corpse that used to be Lord Duffy. During the years of Angel's studies in Galway the two men had formed a strong friendship born of their mutual love of both Anna and Angelus. Now Oberon stared at the lifeless body of his friend strewn on his wife's grave like a rag doll. Anger boiled in the Fairy King and he kissed the dead man's cheek and whispered. "I vow vengeance for your death my friend."
At the sound of screaming from the main house Oberon stepped away from the body and turned to the source of the noise. He watched Bridget run from the kitchen door, her eyes filled with terror. Barely out the door, she tripped over the body of her brother, Patrick. Regaining her footing Bridget began tugging at her brother's body crying, "Patty, get up. We have to run Patty. PATTY!"
A low growl came from the doorway. Bridget abandoned her attempt at reviving Patrick and just stared as a dark figure emerged. "Lord Angel? Is that you, come to save us?" She ran to the figure before her. The relief in her eyes quickly disappeared as Angel transformed his handsome face into that of the demon.
"Yes Bridget, it is I come to save you." He grabbed her behind the neck and pulled her to his chest violently. "You were always my favorite servant girl. Do you know how many mornings I had to hand wash my sheets after you visited me in a dream?" He pulled her face to his and sniffed. "I do love the smell of human fear, it's intoxicating, second only to the smell of their blood."
Paralyzed with fear Bridget just stared at the vampire before her. Slow tears trickled from her eyes. She broke her silence with a shrill scream when Angel began licking the tears from her cheeks.
"Hush beauty. You should not fear death. Embrace it, as I have chosen to embrace you. You will make a most lovely creature of the night." Angel's tongue continued its path down her cheek, under her chin, and came to rest in the hollow of her throat. With a soft purr he pierced her delicate skin and drank from her. As his victims pulse slowed to the point when her blood no longer flowed freely Angel pulled away, licking his lips. He then bit his own wrist and applied it to Bridget's mouth. "Drink lover."
As her mouth clamped down on his wrist, a soft, seductive growl started in Angel's chest. He closed his eyes as her suckling intensified. So overcome with passion he did not realize when the fledgling vampire was ripped away from his wrist.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SON?" Angel opened his eyes and beheld an outraged Oberon towering over him. Bridget was crawling away from the estate, she had been changed.
"Obie, I always thought of you as a father. Little did I know." Angel chuckled. "Imagine, little old me, a halfling." Oberon shrank away from the insanity he saw in his son's eyes.
"When I think of all the power you and my impostor father" he indicated towards the body lying on the hilltop graveyard, "kept from me. Denying me my true nature. Well, I now have power three-fold. And I will use it to destroy, kill, and maim. Everything you fairy folk deem as precious I shall suck the life out of." He bared his fangs and advanced on the king.
Oberon stretched his arm towards his son whispering "Stop." Angel's advance was halted when he hit an invisible barrier the fairy had summoned around the vampire. "Listen to me demon, you are not my son, you simply inhabit his body. I vow to you in the name of my kingdom and Mother Nature I shall find a way to banish you to the hell from whence you came."
The King then turned to the fleeing vampire that had once been Bridget. "Rest in peace child." He summoned a ball of fire to consume the newly formed demon. He turned back to find Angel attempting to flee. For the first time since he had been changed the demon feared for his life. He could see the power of the fairy before him glowing like an aura.
"Have no fear demon, I cannot destroy my son's vessel. Mark my words though, it shall be returned to its proper owner." With a slight tilt of his head King Oberon vanished and the cowering vampire began laughing.
"Your parlor tricks can not destroy pure evil old man. I shall take this world to hell, just watch." The vampire gave out one last chuckle, surveyed the carnage he had created, and left the Duffy estate forever.
~ Romania, 1898 ~
King Oberon reached the campsite of the Kalderash tribe two days before the full moon. He walked to an open-faced tent in the center of the campsite. Inside the tent an old woman stood mourning over the body of a young girl. The girl had been laid out on a platform and surrounded by candles. It was obvious that this girl had been well loved in her tribe, her still form had been adorned from head to toe with offerings of flowers and jewelry. Oberon bowed his head in reverence and waited for the old gypsy to notice him. When her grief allowed her to turn away from the girl's body the old woman approached the fairy. "Things have changed." She said, and motioned with her hand that the King should follow her.
The gypsy led Oberon deep into the forest, finally stopping in a clearing. In the center of the clearing a burial pyre had been erected, obviously for the dead girl. "King Oberon," she finally turned to the Fairy King, "you came to my great great grandmother for help, and now the time has come to grant your request. The spell demands three human life cycles for completion, and I know how hard your waiting has been. The Kalderash will restore your son's soul when the moon is full."
"Old Mother, you are right, the wait has been hard. I watched the destruction that my son left in his wake at every turn, yet I was powerless to stop him. I shall forever grieve for those mortals." The King's eyes reflected his heart-felt sorrow.
"Yes, as will your son." The gypsy stared into his eyes.
"You are wrong, his soul will not suffer for the sins of the demon, he will not remember. The nature of the spell will banish the demon forever." He searched the eyes before him.
"No the spell will not banish the demon, the demon will remain, as will the memories. I told you, things have changed." No longer able to meet his gaze the woman looked away.
"What has changed, the spell was set." He grabbed the old woman beneath the chin and forced her to look into his eyes again. "Answer me Gypsy!" He watched as anger boiled in the gypsy's eyes.
"He drained Yasmine! The beast killed her as her parents watched. She was most loved by the guardian spirits of the Kalderash. She was the honored daughter of our tribe. And now tradition cannot allow the murderer to go unpunished."
"Yes, I understand and I weep for your loss. But you must know that it is the demon that took your daughter's life, not Angel, my son. His soul is not present in his vessel; it wanders in the realm of unrest. When the demon is banished the carnage will stop." He tried to explain.
"The soul is not blamed, but the demon must be punished. Banishment from your son's body will only free the demon to roam the earth in search of another host. To punish the demon we must bind it to Angel's soul. The demon will live in his body, but have no power of control. This inability to act is the punishment chosen." She again averted her eyes.
"Why can't you look at me, what are you concealing? What are the consequences to my son living with a demon in him? I must know." Oberon demanded.
"Certain consequences can not be avoided. Your son will be in a constant struggle for control of his mind over the demon. Fear not, though a human could never win such a battle, a halfling can. In addition, when a demon spirit is bound to a mortal soul a physical bind is unavoidable. Your son will be immortal, and he will suffer the bloodlust. Unfortunately, he will be consumed by guilt, as the demon stays so do his memories. But, this guilt will give him the strength needed to suppress the bloodlust."
"I refuse to allow my son to suffer so. No, you shall banish the demon and leave my son as he was before he turned. Together we will find another way to punish the demon." His words were angry but his eyes pleaded for understanding.
"King, there is no other punishment. Once the demon is released we cannot recapture it. It will be done in this manner. Vengeance is serious to the Kalderash. It must be this way, with or without your approval." She emphasized the last, ending the discussion.
"Do what you must Old Mother, make Angel a prison for this demon. Just know that I will not rest until I find a way to unbind my son and this demon. With a demon bound to his soul my beloved son will never find a moment of happiness." With that Oberon vanished.
"I pray he never does." The gypsy turned back towards the camp.