Eternal Love
Books by Fiona Newcombe
Eternal Love
Eternal Love
Fiona Newcombe
Published in 2014 by FeedARead.com Publishing – Arts Council funded
Copyright © Fiona Newcombe
The author has asserted their moral right under the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
For Keeley Smith, thank you for always being there and for being my inspiration.
For my family, you have always supported me no matter what, even when I was angry due to writers’ block which helped me realize that we may differ greatly but our differences can never come between our bonds.
For Katie Nicholson, Mara McGreal, Amanda Ward and everyone, may your imagination be your companion in the darkest of times.
Preface
The wind blew through her russet fur as a low growl emanated from her throat, ripping through the atmosphere. A red moon signaled it was time. She would either live or die. Kill or be killed. This was the moment her visions had warned her of, and the only point in which her life was most on the line. This was the fate she had been destined to follow.
She circled silently, her paws barely rustling the leaves which lay scattered across the dew covered grass. Her haunches dropped perfecting the movement for one pounce that will determine whether she will survive. Bearing her fangs, she let out a howl, a single war cry, and plunged head first into the battle.
Her final thought was, “I do not fear death….I fear what will follow.”
Chapter 1
Hades Hollow was dark, small and mysterious. A perfect hiding place for a girl who is not all she seems. Phoenix wishes to be normal with her long loosely, curled brown hair streaked with natural red, a heart-shaped face and eyes more gold than solid gold itself. But her appearance means she is always noticeable. She barely remembers her parents or history. The only one she has appears as images in ancient intricate frames that line her towering bookcases found throughout her home.
The images mostly showed them as wolves but amongst the images there is one that she favors the most. It is the picture with the most history. It shows her family sat in one of their library rooms. The room in the photograph had always been Phoenix’s favourite reading place. It encased many of her books and also held Phoenix’s most comfortable chair that was made by her ancestors, the leather was cracked but still showed the brilliance of the blood red colour it used to be. Seated in the chair, she could see her younger self reading to her parents and enjoying their company. But this isn’t the only reason she favoured the photo. The main reason was that if you turned the frame and looked at the back of the picture you could read their names.
In the library, blood room, Willow and Drake Firesong with their beloved daughter, Phoenix Firesong.
She is gifted with beauty which she figured came from her mother, Willow. Unfortunately, she never had the pleasure of growing up with her parents as they died due to an ancient feud 300 years ago which still remains amongst both Vampires and Werewolves. The feud seemingly started over territory as the Vampires claimed to require larger hunting grounds. A mass war started and blood was shed everywhere, yet still the Vampires and the Werewolf pack remained. The Vampires eventually retreated to their own land until they decided to attack for control over the hunting ground.
During the battle, the vampires targeted Willow and Drake as they were the packs Alphas. Willow decided to target Elizabeth, second in command to the Vampires. The once pretty features of the blonde she targeted transformed to show the true identity of her soul. The Vampire stood with black skin and horns like a Minotaur. The transformation took Willow slightly off-guard at first but she quickly continued in her advance. The Vampire charged and thrust its horns towards her but Willow swerved away too late and the horn disabled her right side. Willow collapsed to the ground whimpering in unbearable pain but the Vampire turned and strolled towards her. Drake assumed his fighting stance and growled menacingly. He rushed to Willow’s aid, driven by love, adrenaline and an underlying hate for the bloodsuckers.
In a matter of seconds, Drake was overcome by 12 Vampires, they each wore the same suspicious black garments. The garments covered their faces causing caution to bristle amongst the pack as they confirmed their hatred. It was the Night Coven. The Night Coven had a reputation of being the most violent, their actions, including slaughter of their own kind if it came to it, were well-known amongst all creatures of the night.
A howl echoed through the field pulling the pack out of their thoughts, the Vampires moved apart. The Alpha had been skinned alive. His black fur was shredded and the leader of the Coven, Angelus, stood looming over his remains. Angelus lifted his hand in a taunting movement and signalled for them to move closer. The pack growled in defiance but soon realised it was a signal for the blonde bloodsucker to bring forward Willow. Willow had brought herself up from the ground and was snarling ferociously at Angelus. Angelus stared at her as he realised the true size of Werewolves. Willow towered above him with her fangs bared. He sneered at the pack and then leaped onto Willow’s back. She grabbed at his left leg with her teeth to attempt to pry him off but he still clung to her. His arms had moved round her ribs. Willow’s breathing became gasps as he slowly suffocated her. She collapsed to the ground. Angelus stood above her and with a snarl, he ripped her heart from her chest. With Willow’s heart in his hand he turned and smiled toxically at the pack as whimpers erupted.
“We shall leave you at peace to mourn for your lost leaders, but after a week the feud shall be re-installed.”
His voice sounded like velvet but to the pack it dripped with a poison like no other, hatred and smugness. They left when the howls began. To passer-bys it would have sounded eerie and chilling but to Phoenix it was the calls of grief and sorrow.
She fled the scene willing her paws to move as fast as she was capable. That was when she discovered Hades Hollow and made it her home.
The only remaining evidence of their existence and feud are stored as ancient scrolls in the lost Temple of Pegasus which is hidden in the farthest region of Hades Hollow on Cloud Mountain. Cloud Mountain is the largest Mountain on the planet’s surface but it remains concealed at all times behind veils of cloud. This gave the Mountain its name but it has only recently became discovered by Phoenix causing her to use it as a private vantage point whenever she had days to spare.
The scrolls on Cloud Mountain were forbidden to readers but Phoenix investigated anyway as only mythical beings can see past the spell on the scrolls. She found the temple on one of her Mountain hikes as she found the best view and place to be alone on Cloud Mountain. Once she reached the top she discovered a monument to Pegasus. The monument was made entirely from jade, one of the rarer stones in this region, and showed the mighty Pegasus rearing with his head thrown towards the stars. At the base an inscription was made in Latin which she translated as,
“Those of you who wish to enter will pay a price of courage
and will gain the respect of Pegasus. But only those who dare sit
on his back amongst his mighty wings shall read the scrolls and
prophecies.”
As she read the inscription, the monument
of Pegasus bowed and neighed at her. Judging this to be an enchantment, she followed the inscription and sat on the great creatures back. Pegasus however had other plans and flew her around Cloud Mountain before carrying her into the clouds. When Pegasus finally stopped she relaxed and looked about her.
The floor was nothing more than a cloud but further out she saw a building named Scrolls and Prophecies of the Magical Realms. And that was where she investigated her past. By doing this it gave her knowledge, gave her power regarding Werewolves and Vampires, but also endangered her life as any creature would destroy her for the knowledge she had gained.
Living as an outcast had its benefits, however living with the pack gave her protection from Vampires. Vampires notice a lone wolf as their belief is that the wolves remain a pack. Vampires even believe the legends spread about Werewolves, for example the one where they only transform at night. They also believe that Werewolves started from a wolf which is true in some ways, but they do not know it was the Firewolf.
Firewolves reside near the Blue Flame River where it is constantly as warm as a summers evening and is always illuminated by the river that sends jade sparks into the sky. As a result, they have red fur even though the River remains blue. This is because the heat affects their fur sending it a scarlet colour that resembles a common fire. Werewolves began due to a contagious infection in the Firewolves saliva which soon became part of their genetics allowing them to transform at will. The only differences between Werewolves and Firewolves are that a Werewolves fur colour is determined by their hair colour with the rare exception of a russet or jet black colour. Also Werewolves can change forms unlike Firewolves.
Her ancestor, Seraphina, was the first of her kind in recorded history. Seraphina found that the only way she could have become a Werewolf was through a Firewolf bite that she received as a teenager. The positive side of being a Werewolf is that some lucky wolves receive powers thought only to exist in dreams and above all, the power to become a wolf.
The negative side was the lack of taste for human food and the thirst for a good hunt. This was a shock to Phoenix as she used to love eating things like chocolate; she was surprised when she found and enjoyed the taste for red deer instead. Firewolves also pass the Werewolf DNA from generation to generation which means pro-creation. This line unfortunately ended with Phoenix; the last Werewolf. But she always had a friend, and a plan, if a war broke out. She had the last Firewolf cub, Fiera.
Fiera was special as she had inherited the gift to talk and she was always there in case Phoenix needed to form a pack. But Fiera wasn’t only part of a plan, she was the only friend Phoenix had acquired over the 354 years she has lived, this was through choice, she wanted friends but she refrained herself from socialising. This was because she feared that she would be discovered and banished from Hades Hollow. Also she wasn’t a socialite, and she preferred it this way. And anyway, who needs friends when she enjoys the thrill of being a wolf; running, hunting, the scent of the forest and the feel of dirt beneath her paws was all this girl needed.
Chapter 2
Everyday told the same story for Phoenix; running through the Withering Woods that lined Hades Hollow, hiding in the sinister shadows of Heaven Feather that was the only village established 100 miles away from the Withering Woods. Heaven Feather was the only village but it still was magnificent. It featured shops and houses from the 1800’s and was made from the finest of sandstone. She also liked observing humans and occasionally acquiring material to make clothes. But this changed when she decided it was time to hunt….
Phoenix pranced towards the Withering Woods, morphing in mid-leap; her russet fur shining under the mid-day sun and her eyes glistening with anticipation. She had been waiting for this day. The day she could feel the earth underneath her paws. The day she could be herself without worries of human discovery. The day she was allowed to run free without tempests. Her tempests used to be the many restrictions of the pack, such as not hunting near the village and always remaining in a pack, but then again these never restrained her anymore. She is an outcast. Which she tried to remind herself of, often.
She sprinted through the woods, stealthily placing each paw so as not to disturb the crimson leaves that lay underfoot. A rustle nearby sent her senses on high alert. Her thoughts became that of an Alpha female. Track, hunt and kill.
As she scented her prey and silently circled the area, cautious that one wrong move could allow her to be discovered and the chase to begin without preparation. Thinking of this possibility, she was thankful to her creator, she never lost her prey and she was fast, faster than even a Vampire. Which helped, Vampires weren’t exactly friendly.
Pushing her thoughts aside, she dropped to her haunches and prepared to pounce. She inched forward. There was another rustle nearby and she glanced nervously around her. Just another prey, she thought as she concentrated on her first victim. She lowered her haunches again but this time deeper. She inched forward aware of a presence behind her. She leaped forward but she sensed it fall short. That was when she realised the scenery had changed.
Her eyes were fogged by billowing smoke and she yelped in alarm. The scent of fire engulfed her and her lungs heaved with the effort of breathing. Through the smoke she glimpsed red flames licking hungrily at sandstone rubble. This has the exactly the same foundations as…Heaven Feather, she realised as she watched the rubble burn. She glanced around and noticed a single silhouette stood amongst the flames. Get out of there! She wanted to yell at him but all that escaped was a howl. I am still in wolf form, this thought brought her attention back to the mysterious figure. She stared at him and could almost sense a sneer lining his lips.
Horrendous heat seared through her brain as the woods came back into view. The scent of the deer she was previously hunting was long gone. She paused briefly, thinking over her previous experience. What was that? I mean it couldn’t possibly have been a vision….could it? She thought through the possibilities as the images flashed briefly through her memory. Then she remembered a section of text from the oldest scroll;
“Only the ancient one, destined to free the Werewolf species, shall be
Able to foresee the future that lay ahead. Only then
Can Werewolves take revenge on the lost members
Of our pack.”
Un-thinkingly, she sprinted through the woods, glancing around her as if to check there was no one to witness her abnormal behavior. That was until she spotted a dark silhouette amongst the trees. She sniffed curiously at first and then deeper, until the unmistakable scent of a freshly varnished mahogany piano and sweet lavender penetrated her nostrils. She plunged on, desperate to gather more distance between her and the stranger. Who was he? Did he notice my weird behavior…? Thousands of questions scurried through her mind.
Finally reaching the edge of the woods, she transformed rapidly, ignoring the pain as every molecule in her body was torn apart and changed. She gathered her clothes from the hollow of the ancient oak in the midst of a group of firs, rushing, she pulled her lemon blouse over her loose curls. She pulled on her dark denim jeans as she ran. Hoping…praying, that no one noticed her.
Once she was inside, she sighed with relief. Now she could think in peace and concentrate on the thousands of questions that had flooded her mind, that was a good thing about her genetics, a Werewolves thought process is unique, a Werewolf can think of a thousand things at once and not be deterred by the difference of each thought. The only problem Phoenix faced was that she did not need to think, she needed answers.
Chapter 3
Phoenix’s version of time flew as Werewolves have times based around the rise and setting of the sun, and the positions of the stars constellations. It was a week after the vision and still she had no answers to her thoughts, but the same couple of questions bothered her the most. Who was the stranger in her vision? Who was the stranger that was observing her hunt? Why had a vision interrupted her? Are
the strangers linked? Was she the chosen Werewolf, the one spoken of in the ancient scrolls? Each thought brought a fresh memory.
“Stop it,” she growled under her breath, “There is plenty of time later to think over this mystery.” She stood from her make-shift bench, it wasn’t much of a seat. It was a simple log that was located deep in the woods away from prying eyes. One where she could think without interruption. Once she arrived back at home, she bounded up the stairs to her room.
Her room was the smallest in the large empty house that appeared like a mansion compared to the cottages that are commonly found within Heaven Feather. But she loved the secluded area as it was placed far on the outskirts of Hades Hollow but close enough for her to be careful while hunting. And even the dark sinister shadows cast by the woods made her feel like she belonged. This was her home and she would never have found a better place to live.
Her house was mainly cluttered with stacks of books that leaned precariously against already heaving shelves. She opened the glass doors that led out to her balcony and gazed down onto the woods that were casting shadows on the ground below. The day was beautiful with the rising sun illuminating the pink tainted sky. From her vantage point she could just make out the faint glow of the Blue Flame River. The glow danced as the River flowed but it was constantly a magnificent sight. The River was always a place for tourists which meant Phoenix avoided it at all costs but she allowed herself glimpses from a distance.
“I wonder what it would be like to be normal,” she muttered nonchalantly.
She sighed, turning her back on the outside world seemed more difficult as the decades passed. It must be the inner wolf, she thought. Occasionally at the thought of decades, she reminded herself that she was actually 354 trapped in a 16 year olds body, but then again she actually liked the idea of remaining 16 as it meant never aging and it removes fear of death, unless you are battling a bunch of Vampires.
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