Chapter:   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

His Lady of the Night

Chapter Twenty Two

Julius, sensing it was time to reveal his presence, stepped into view.

Olivia gasped as she saw the vampire, only he wasn't a vampire, he was…Conner? "Jake, it's Conner," she whispered to her soulmate.

Her ability to detect masks, showed him to her in is his full glory, the white robe, the red hair, the sandals and his wings.

Then from the corner of her eye she saw Drake attack.

Jake, backing away from the Master, heard Olivia's voice in his mind, something about Conner. He looked up and all he saw was Julius standing behind Drake.

Momentarily distracted from the battle at hand, Jake gave Drake the unfortunate, but perfect opportunity to advance on him and attack.

"Jake, look out!" shouted Olivia.

Olivia's voice ringing in his ears, Jake had no chance to avoid the spear; he felt it slide smoothly in his side.

Horrified, she watched the Master stab Jake, she wanted to cry and run to him, but a serene voice suddenly whispered in her mind, "Be calm my daughter, you know what to do." And her father was right; she did know what to do.

Jake felt the immediate affects of the poison flow into him; he could tell it was fast acting. Conveying this to Olivia, he tried to rise and continue the fight but was too weak and fell back to the ground.

Olivia brought forth all her Druid knowledge and energy. She stood erect and looked at the shackles; they fell to the ground. Her green eyes blazed with fire as energy from her father and the other deceased Druids, poured through her, surrounding her in its protective embrace. Her auburn hair swirled in the current of power, caressing her face and body, while the glow from the bowl surrounded, enveloping her in its warmth and light.

Suddenly, she saw everything, was everything; she raised a hand and waved it towards Conner, making him visible to all, his mask gone. Then she directed her hand towards Jake, just as Drake was about to pierce her soulmate in the heart.

"Shield!" she shouted. The spear's steel tip shattered off an invisible force surrounding Jake and quivered in Drake's hand.

Astonished, Drake dropped the broken spear and stared at Olivia. He shuddered and quickly regrouped, "Grab her Julius," he shouted. But when his henchman did not appear he looked behind him and gasped, horrified at the sight. There stood an angel; resplendent is all his white glory, his feathered wings stretched out behind him with a serene smile upon his lips.

Olivia could feel Jake valiantly trying to help her but the shield prevented any movement. Afraid he might perish before she could drive the poison out, Olivia took control of Jake's vital systems and began systematically shutting them down until he lay still as death, the shield continuing its protection against all other attacks, then she turned her blazing eyes on Drake.

Olivia stalked Drake with deceptive nonchalance, her furious gaze fixed on him.

"You cannot kill him Olivia," Conner's voice sounded in her mind.

"Why not? He was going to kill Jake and then use me to kill other humans," she replied, her rage mounting.

"You are a Priestess, my dear. At your coronation you swore to do no harm," he said.

"Then what can I do? He has to be stopped so he can never do this again," she said, her fists clenched at her side.

Olivia's heart warred with her thoughts, she wanted to destroy this monster so badly, but her gentle heart encouraged her to only make him harmless to all other beings of the earth. The fire in her eyes receded and her fists unclenched as peace descended and filled her heart.

"You're right Connor, I cannot allow Drake's evil to stain my soul," she said aloud.

"Stain your soul?" interrupted Drake. "Your soul is already stained just by lying with that," he sneered as he pointed to Jake. "You've already begun your own downfall, my dear," he said silkily, "you've killed and that's all it takes."

Doubt and guilt entered Olivia's eyes as she listened to Drake spew his hateful words. Was he right? Had she created her own downfall by killing those vampires?

"If you are a Priestess and so powerful, my dear, why weren't you able to save your mother, or your father? You could have, you know," he smiled knowingly as he took a few small steps in her direction.

Olivia visibly started at that. 'Father, mother' she thought. 'Could I have saved you? Was I powerful enough at that age?' Her mind reeled with different scenarios of her saving her parents, of battling Drake.

"Don't listen to him Olivia. You were too young, you were not at full power back then," said Conner.

"But what if he's right? What if I could've saved them?" she implored him, her mind all a jumble.

From out of nowhere, her father's image superimposed itself over her jumbled thoughts and stood clear as day, surrounded by light.

"My daughter," he said. "You could not have saved me. I knew when I fought the Master that I would not survive. I did so to give you and your mother the chance to escape. It was all foreseen my child. Let your guilt at my death go, it does not serve you," he said calmly.

"And mother? Could I have saved her?" she asked tearfully, afraid her failure to act had caused her family's death.

Another light approached and materialized next to her father, it was her mother and she was smiling.

"Olivia, my darling daughter," she said. "You could not have saved me either. Even had you awakened before the Master had slipped into our home, he would only have killed you, for you were not important enough at that age," she told her.

Tears coursed down Olivia's cheeks as she accepted there was nothing she could have done to save them. Conner was right; Drake was trying to rattle her, undermine her confidence.

As Olivia stood in a trancelike state, Drake slowly continued his approach. He didn’t dare use her now; she had proven to be too powerful. No, he had to kill her. He knew the angel would do nothing, for they were forbidden to interfere. Only an archangel could destroy him. Whoever this angel was, he definitely was not an archangel.

Olivia's tears were proof enough to Drake of her weakness. Now was the time to finish her off, besides, stale blood was just as good as fresh blood, he reasoned. He threw himself at her, claws ready to tear her to shreds but was stopped suddenly and levitated, suspended in mid-air.

" Did you really think I was weak Drake," she asked him softly. "I can assure you, I'm not weak at all. Now what to do with you? I can't kill you, for that wouldn't be like me at all. Your mind is too strong for me to wipe without Jake's help, and as you see he's not up to it right now," she said.

"Soul," Jake's weak voice penetrated her mind said.

A blinding smile slowly curved her lips and she looked at Jake still lying safe behind her shield. Even with the poison coursing through his veins he was still capable of communicating with her, it was truly amazing the strength he possessed.

"You're right my darling, that would be justice indeed," she said softly, cocked her head and eyed Drake thoughtfully.

Drake did not like that look in her eyes. He began frantically struggling in mid-air, trying to break whatever was holding him up there.

Olivia looked over at Conner, "Can you return his soul to him?" she asked. "Let him remember all the evil he's done?"

Surprised by her request, Conner could only blink. He'd never thought about returning a soul to one as evil as Drake, he didn't even know if it was possible.

"I'll asked," he said and disappeared.

Drake continued his struggles to free himself but his attempts were in vain. He spent his precious energy and finally slumped still.

Olivia lowered him to the ground but kept him restrained, she wasn't taking any chances, for he could be faking. She merged more fully with Jake to monitor the poison, it was moving very slowly now, attacking his organs, but it still had a way to go before reaching his heart. She sighed in relief, there was still a chance she could drive the poison out. She hoped Conner would return soon.

"What would be justice? What are you planning?" snapped Drake. "I'm warning you, you better let me go or my minions will storm this chamber, they'll kill you and that pathetic thing you call a soulmate," he threatened.

Olivia shook her head and chuckled, "My dear Drake, you can try calling you minions all you want, it won't do you any good," she said. "You see, I've frozen your mind, your thoughts can no longer reach anyone. So you might as well settle down while we wait for Conner's return."

Drake cursed, calling her the most vile words in his repertoire, but nothing fazed Olivia, she stood there, her beautiful green gaze filled with knowledge and serene peace. Drake could no longer stand looking into those eyes; they unsettled him, made him almost feel like dirt, if he could feel that is. He closed his eyes, calling to his minions but he got no response.

Conner materialized next to her, "The boss gives his permission, he says I'm to let you help me perform the ritual," he relayed.

Olivia nodded, "What do you want me to do?" she asked him.

From the folds of his robe, Conner retrieved a long slim vial filled with what looked like water.

Olivia looked at the bottle inquiringly.

"It's pure holy water, blessed by the Boss himself," Conner confided.

Drake heard Conner and gasped in horror as images of his body being burned filtered through his mind. He began heaping abusive language upon them, then suddenly his throat closed up and he could no longer speak. Olivia had murmured, "silence" and waved her hand towards him and his voice had ceased.

Conner looked at Olivia with respect and even a little awe, something he usually reserved for the Boss alone.

"Let's get started," said Conner. "He needs to be lying down."

With another wave of her hand, Olivia levitated Drake again, this time turning him horizontal so he was lying down, hovering a few inches off the ground.

Conner walked to Drake's side and motioned Olivia to join him. He uncapped the vial and began to speak in Latin in a strong voice.  "Spiritus Deus Donare Reparare Tibi Via Agninus Cor!"

He then turned to Olivia, "Now repeat the words in English," he said. "And don't forget, you must look at him as you speak."

Olivia looked down at Drake and stared into his hate filled eyes, "The Spirit of God gives back to you by way of the Lamb your soul," she translated.

Conner poured the water over Drake's head.

Drake howled with pain as the holy water burned his skin, made it sizzle as his pores absorbed it.

"Tibi Benedictio Apud Deus!" said Conner.

"You are blessed in the presence of God," translated Olivia.

As Conner and Olivia watched, the murderous rage in Drake's eyes slowly faded, replaced by tears of horror and guilt as she released his mind and restraints. Oblivious to them now, Drake crawled to a corner and curled up, sobbing his heart out for all the evil he'd done.

Olivia quickly removed the shield protecting Jake and dropped to her knees at his side. A bright shining white light pulsed around her hands as she placed them over his wound. She focused her mind on healing him and became the light. She followed the poison's destructive path, mending him from the inside out. She murmured the ancient Druid healing chants she knew before she was even born and attacked the poison, driving it out by his pores. She returned to her body, exhausted, but elated, she'd succeeded.

Jake opened his eyes to her tired, but overjoyed smile. He could feel no pain, he searched inside himself; the poison was gone, completely. He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek, "Thank you my love," he whispered and pulled her down to him.

His kiss was gentle but very thorough, it send delicious shivers throughout her body as Olivia returned his kiss with fervor.

Breathing heavily, Olivia broke the kiss and stood up, holding her hand out to him, "Isn't it about time you got up my darling, we'll continue this at home if you don't mind," she said, motioning her head towards Conner standing there, a silly grin on his face.

For the first time since he was young and his father caught him kissing the blacksmith's daughter behind the privy, Jake blushed as he spied the angel a few feet behind Livvie. He turned away and spotted Drake curled up in the corner, sobbing and shaking.

"What happened to him?" he asked.

Olivia just shrugged as she looked at Drake too, "We took your suggestion and returned his soul to him," she merely said.  

"The Man let you do that?" he asked Conner incredulously.

"Yes He did, in fact He concurred with you on that," he said smiling delightedly.

"His mind is now tormented with the images of all the people he's killed. What's most important, is he's no longer able to harm anyone, anymore."

"Your right my love," said Jake as peace enveloped his heart.

He put his arm around her shoulders and the three walked out of the chamber. Unchallenged, they made their way to the cave entrance only to stop a few feet because the sun was rising and the entrance was filled with the dawn light. Jake cursed. They'd been there too long. That's why they'd passed without encountering one vampire; they'd all gone to ground for the day. Jake and Olivia were too drained to summon the clouds to shelter them on their flight home. Jake considered what to do.

Conner stopped and looked back, then he looked at the dawn light and realized what they still thought.

"My friends," he said as he turned to them. "Do not fear, come stand at my side and watch the sunrise with me, you have earned it."

Puzzled by Conner's words, Jake and Olivia looked at each other, then back at Conner who smiled serenely. They accepted his words and stood by his side. The sunrise was amazing to Jake; it had been so long since he'd seen one! Suddenly Jake and Olivia noticed that while they felt tired they didn't feel the effects of the sun on their skin or the urge to go to ground.

"You no longer have to worry about the sun," said Conner conversationally. "The Boss has granted you a tremendous gift for your work here this night. He has made it possible for you both to walk in daylight. Contrary to the Master's belief he needed Priestess blood to walk in daylight, the Boss let Drake be in the sun for those two centuries, to lull him, for he knew this day would come and that you, Olivia, would have a choice to make, to either destroy Drake or give him back his soul. You chose his soul and that pleased the Boss mightily," he finished.

"Are we human then?" asked Olivia, a little confused.

Conner shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid you are both still vampire. The Boss said he could not change that. But you both have souls and your abilities, he expects you to continue destroying those who have chosen the dark path and prey on humanity."

Jake and Olivia looked at each other. "We'll continue to protect humanity, and save those we can, we promise." Jake said.

Conner smiled at them, accepting their promise, for he knew it to be sincere and encouraged them further out under the sun.

With a smile Jake grabbed Olivia up in his arms and stepped outside the cave, he whooped and twirled around in circles, making them both dizzy. They laughed and laughed until their sides hurt. It was such a wonderful feeling, to feel the warm rays of the sun and not turn to dust. They shape-shifted into owl and flew home. This time they did not sleep in the ground, but upstairs in the master bedroom.

 

©2006 Romance at Heart Magazine.

©2000 Angel Young.

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