Revelations

by Butler, Christine M.

  Seth stood amazed at the sites before him. The circle Jaxon was standing in was glowing from the inside, swirls of green color fluttered throughout and then there were the reds, emanating from Jaxon herself as she tried to blow past the magic that was blocking her from her prey. "Caislyn, you're..." Seth didn't get to finish telling her that she was doing it, he saw Caislyn and ran for her, diving to break the magical connection she had. As his body slammed into hers and sent them both rolling, Caislyn's connection was broken. It left Jaxon pushing full force to try to kill Brother John. The moment Caislyn's link failed, the man exploded in a violent mess of blood and bone. Jaxon was bathed in the stuff as she threw her head back and laughed. The circle came down, now that the deed was done and blood was shed. She looked around and saw Seth kneeling over Caislyn in the grass. She walked to them in a haze, the numbness she had shrouded herself in was only just beginning to subside.

  “You probably shouldn’t have hit her so hard.” Jaxon said as she walked over to help her friend off the ground. It was then that she realized Caislyn still wasn’t moving. She stood still watching as Seth tried desperately to revive her. Nothing was happening.

  “Jaxon, I don’t have real breath as a vampire. You need to switch your witch half back into action and get over here and breath for her.”

  “I can’t.” Jaxon said softly as she tried to send her vampire half back into dormancy. “It won’t let go. I... I drank blood earlier. I don’t think I can now.”

  “Then you get to watch your friend die.”

  Jaxon didn’t get a chance to respond. She was flung out of the way as someone blurred past her at an unnatural speed. Caislyn was in his arms and being moved to the other side of the road before Seth could react or Jaxon could get herself back off the ground.

  “Stand back,” Ash told them as they walked across the road. He had her lying in the middle of a ring of flowers, and as they watched he leaned over her, breathing for her. “She did this to stop you from becoming a monster.” He said in between breaths, “and you couldn’t even help breath for her?” He was breathing again, and then pumping on her chest. While he was doing normal CPR he was also chanting and the flower ring around Caislyn grew a little higher each time.

  “Her hair,” Jaxon said as she moved a little closer. Seth only nodded and held his head down. Ash didn’t respond. “What is wrong with her hair?” Jaxon tried again.

  “Caislyn taught you about the consequences of magic didn’t she, Jaxon?” Seth asked.

  “Yes, but...” It dawned on Jaxon then that the white streaks that now graced Caislyn’s hair were a sign of how much magic she was using to keep Jaxon from doing what she did. “Why would she do that?”

  “Oh, you are a stupid witch, aren’t you?” Ash spat at Jaxon, as he continued to try to revive Caislyn.

  “Are you going to be able to bring her back?” Seth was asking as Caislyn began coughing.

  "Caislyn!" Jaxon yelled out, but when she tried to come forward she was stopped in her tracks by the look of horror on her friend's face. Jaxon watched as Caislyn buried herself into Ash's chest, so she wouldn't have to see.

  "You may want to go clean yourself up now." Ash said to Jaxon as he picked Caislyn back up and began carrying her back to her camp. "There's a stream just down that way," He said as he nodded in the opposite direction he was currently heading.

  "And how do we know you aren't trying to kidnap my friend?" Jaxon retorted.

  Ash turned a look of loathing upon Jaxon and then he unleashed the fury with his thoughts, "you dare call this woman your friend? You nearly killed her just to get your damn revenge! You wouldn't help breath for her when she couldn't do it herself." Ash picked up a lock of Caislyn's now silver hair and waved it at Jaxon, "She bares the marks of age now, for trying to save you. But you couldn't take a moment to feel your own pain in order to save her! I don't think we need to worry about who she is safer with at the moment. That's pretty obvious, considering I just gave her life back while you did nothing."

  "Ash," Caislyn started to speak, but it was a weak effort and she gave up.

  "If you don't mind, I'll be taking her back to her people now."

  Seth grabbed the bag that was still tied to Jaxon's waist and tossed it to Ash. "Take this too, for Caislyn's mom."

  Ash tucked the pouch between himself and Caislyn and then took off running while holding her in his arms. He ran as though she weighed nothing. Jaxon watched them go until she couldn't see them any longer. Then she looked down at herself. She was covered in blood and other bits. "No wonder she was afraid," Jaxon thought out loud.

  "Come on, we need to get you cleaned up." Seth pulled Jaxon towards the stream Ash had mentioned. He could hear the slight babbling of the water as they got closer.

  As Jaxon washed the blood from herself in the cool waters of the stream light began to filter down through the trees. "It's morning already?" She asked. Seth nodded. "But that means we were here all night. I didn't realize it was that long. I thought..."

  "Jaxon, you lose yourself. You lose any sense of time, identity, it all leaves you when you succumb to the blood lust. You drained someone last night didn't you?" It was Jaxon's turn to nod. "I saw the man with the knife wound. So, there was one more, other than the one you had in the circle with you?"

  "Yes," she whispered.

  "Tell me about it."

  "No." Jaxon finished washing up and then walked away from the water.

  "Jaxon, talking about it will help. It will help you understand why."

  "Seth, I took all night to kill and torture three men. An entire night, in which Caislyn's mom could have died. Caislyn almost died trying to keep me from becoming a monster! How in the hell is talking about it going to make any of that better?" When Seth was silent she pushed further for an answer, "how?" Something broke inside of Jaxon then. The parts of herself she had tried so hard to hide pushed their way forward and the flood of emotions that slammed into Jaxon took her breath away. She screamed out into the woods, for her mother, for Caislyn, for Vesta, for the part of herself that she lost last night. She screamed and screamed hoping that somehow it would all drain away and the numbness would come back and swallow her hole. Instead, Seth came over and wrapped his arms around her. He held her there by the bank of the stream for a while as Jaxon's emotions ate her alive. Seth refused to let go, even when she tried to pry him off of her. He held her together, and she knew that the moment he let go, she would fall to pieces. "What have I done?" She whispered. "What have I done?" It became a chant that she clung to as the emotions overtook her. Seth held her until she wore herself out completely. Then he picked her up, as Ash had done for Caislyn, and he started heading back to the Gypsy camp.

  ***

  AFTERMATH

  Ash was unable to cross the barrier the Gypsies had created around the camp. The strong magics they used to ward off unwelcome guests also kept uninvited Fey from entering. It was the only reason he hadn't tried to go to Caislyn outside of her dreams. He certainly would have stopped her from marrying that witch if he had been able to. He was stuck at the borders with no other way to get Caislyn to the comfort of her home. "Hello?" He began to yell. "I could use some help over here." Ash could tell there was someone watching, so he readjusted Caislyn so that her head flopped away from him, making her visible to whomever it was. "Let me rephrase, she needs help! I will leave her here at the border if I have your word that you will take her directly to a healer."

  Mikel stepped out from behind a tree, "Caislyn?"

  "Yes, it's Caislyn, your long lost cousin, no doubt." Ash's temper hadn't improved any on his journey. He was furious that Caislyn surrounded herself with these lesser beings, and to her own detriment.

  Mikel caught sight of Caislyn's silver streaks of hair and gasped, "Caislyn! What happened?" He ignored the border, ignored the fact that there was a Fey standing over the lines and crossed them to get to her. "What happened?" He asked again.

  "Her friend, Jaxon, I believe."
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br />   "Jaxon did this?" Mikel's look of disbelief caused Ash to roll his eyes.

  "Yes! Caislyn was trying to save Jaxon from herself, only she had to use way too much magic to do it. Magic she wasn't sure how to tap into properly. I will remedy that later, and teach her the magic of the Fey myself, but for now she needs to be healed. And," Ash tossed the bag of herbs to Mikel, "you need to get these herbs to your healer for Caislyn's mother too."

  Mikel sat there, stroking the silver lines that were now drowning out the deep natural browns of Caislyn's hair.

  "Boy!" Ash shouted, "If you are not up to the task, then go fetch someone who is!"

  Mikel snapped out of his reverie and picked Caislyn up. He turned and took her back to the camp, while Ash stood at the border, helpless to do any more for her. He thought about finding some place secure and dream walking to her since she was unconscious again, but he didn't know if that would drain her further, so he wouldn't risk it.

  ~...~

  Jaxon came to again in Seth's arms, and once again she protested him taking her back to the Gypsy camp. "You can't take me back there. They will all hate me!"

  "They won't hate you." Seth said, for about the seventh time.

  "You saw Caislyn, she would rather snuggle up to that green trickster than look at me."

  "You were covered in blood and other things. I told you before how gruesome you looked, and she was drained. I'm not even sure she knows who she was snuggled up to."

  "She said his name."

  "Yes, but when she wakes up again, she may not remember it was him." Seth could smell the camp, they were almost there. "Would you like to walk in on your own or should I just carry you past everyone straight to the RV?"

  "I'll walk." Jaxon said as she waited for Seth to put her down. "Please, I need to walk. I can't have you carry me in there looking like a victim too. This is all my fault."

  "Jax," Seth started.

  "No, don't even try to defend any of it. I knew what I was doing when I attacked those men. I didn't think anyone I loved would be hurt by it, but I knew what I was doing was wrong and I still went through with it." Jaxon started walking to the camp, hesitating at its border, unsure of herself. "What if she never wants to see me again?"

  "Then we will leave, together, until we can figure out how to fix things." Seth grabbed Jaxon's hand and nudged her forward.

  ~...~

  Gregore sat beside Caislyn waiting patiently for her to wake up. His conversation with Mikel kept playing through his mind. One minute he was sitting here tending to Vesta and the next Mikel was kicking the door to the RV. He had Caislyn in his arms, dangling the way unconscious people do. Panic set in as he took Caislyn from Mikel and set her on the couch. "What happened?" He picked up a lock of her silver-shocked hair and looked to Mikel for answers.

  "I will tell you everything, but first, I must get this to Pavlina." Mikel held up the pouch with the herbs in it, as Gregore nodded his head gesturing to the back of the RV.

  "She's back there with Vesta." Mikel dropped the herbs off with Pavlina and came right back.

  "I was on patrol near the border when the green man began yelling for help. I ignored him at first, but then I saw who he was carrying."

  "The green man?" Gregore questioned.

  "He was Fey. I do not know his name, sorry."

  "That's okay, I think I already know it."

  "He told me that Jaxon did this to her."

  "What?" Gregore snapped.

  "Something about Caislyn using too much magic to try to save her. The green man, he was saying that she needed to be taught how to use her Fey magic properly, that if she had been, this may not have happened."

  "Oh, and I suppose he's just the one to teach her, too."

  "He did mention that he would remedy the situation later."

  "Why didn't he bring her all the way to the camp?" Gregore questioned as he tried to get his temper under control.

  "He can't cross our boundaries. We have magical wards set up all around the camp. No unwanted visitors get in, the Fey have not been welcome in these parts for many generations."

  "Good, let's make sure we keep it up then." Gregore said. "I think we are going to need a secondary healer here, can you please, go get someone?"

  "Yeah sure," Mikel answered as he turned to leave.

  "Oh, and Mikel, I don't want Caislyn knowing about the green man bringing her back or what he had to say."

  Mikel just nodded and then closed the door behind him.

  The woman who had been training under Pavlina showed up about ten minutes later and started ordering Gregore around. "Get her some comfortable clothes to put on, then start brewing some tea." She added a list of herbs that Gregore needed to brew, and he went to do it while she took care of Caislyn.

  When he came back with the tea Caislyn was dressed in her flannel pajamas. "Are they going to be too warm for her?" He asked as he pointed to the whimsical fuzzy bunny pajamas.

  "No, they are perfect. Her soul has been shocked. It's as cold as her icy hair right now. The warmth will do her good." The woman waved something under Caislyn's nose and waited. Slowly, Caislyn was drawn out of her sleep and although groggy, she seemed cognizant.

  "How did I get here?" She asked.

  "Caislyn!" Gregore's excitement got the best of him and he pushed by the healer to try to get to her.

  She pushed him right back. "Now, there's enough of that. She's only just woken up. Give her some space." The woman turned back to Caislyn and smiled. "Sweetheart, let's see if we can get some of this tea in you. It will help warm you from the inside."

  As if the woman's words suddenly made Caislyn cold, a shiver ran through her body. She simply nodded at the healer and began sipping on the hot tea.

  "Where's Jaxon?" Caislyn asked between sips.

  "They haven't come back yet." Gregore told her.

  "Oh, they are back. I saw them going inside next door when I was on my way here."

  Gregore did not even respond, he simply took off out the door of the RV. He heard Caislyn calling to him, and he ignored it. She may have forgotten that Jaxon nearly killed her, but it was not something he was about to let go. He was banging on the door of the other RV before he even realized he was there. Seth stepped out of the door and shut it behind him.

  "Where is she?" Gregore demanded.

  "You need to calm down," he told Gregore.

  "No, I don't. What I need is to know what the hell happened out there, because Caislyn came back with more silver hair than brown, and she's barely able to stay conscious. Now, where is she?" Gregore tried to push his way past Seth, who simply pushed a little bit, but with his vampire strength it was enough to send Gregore to the ground. Gregore, however, was undeterred. "JAXON!" He began yelling.

  "You do not want to do this right now," Seth said, the anger starting to show in his voice.

  "No, I think you are the one who doesn't want to do this. If she is the reason that Caislyn is so bad off, and she refuses to face it, then maybe you both need to leave. This," Gregore waved his hands around at the camp, "this camp is Caislyn's heritage. Not yours, and not hers."

  "Gregore!" Caislyn was calling from around the RV. She managed to round the front of it, just barely keeping her legs beneath her.

  "Oh, Caislyn, what are you doing out here?" Gregore ran over to her and caught her just before her legs gave out a final time.

  "You have to stop. Jaxon didn't do this to me. I did it to myself, by being stubborn." Caislyn was hit momentarily by a volley of violent coughs and then she continued in a raspy dried voice, "listen, I knew it was too much. I just couldn't give up on her."

  "But apparently that consideration didn't go both ways, because she obviously had no concern for what you were doing to yourself."

  "She was lost to vengeance, Greg. That's something you can't understand until you lose someone you love."

  "Yeah, well, I understand it pretty damn well right now and it doesn't excuse sending you home almost dead. Ho
w many years of your life did she suck away with whatever stunt it was she pulled? And did you forget you might be pregnant? According to the Vadomas there has never been a blessed union that didn't result in an immediate pregnancy. So, what about our baby? It's not just you anymore Caislyn. So basically, Jaxon was thinking of getting vengeance for her mom while she killed her best friend and my baby right along with her. Excuse me if I don't understand her feelings in all of this!"

  "I think that's enough," Seth interjected.

  "Do you?" Gregore blasted out in a flurry of emotion. "I'm so glad you think that's enough. I wonder what you, or Jaxon for that matter, were thinking when the green man from my wife's dreams had to carry her home."

  "Ash?" Caislyn questioned in a whisper.

  "Gregore, really..." Seth started.

  "No, really, Seth! Where were the two of you when he couldn't even cross the boundaries to the camp to get her help? If Mikel hadn't been near the border, how long would he have waited, how would that have hurt Caislyn? Did either of you think of that? Did either of you think of anyone but yourselves?" Gregore realized he still had a very weak Caislyn in his grip and he picked her up to carry her back to her bed for some rest. "Fucking vampires," he snarled as he went.

  ~...~

  "He's right, you know." Jaxon was standing in the doorway when Seth turned to go back in, his head hung low. She knew what he was thinking. It was the same thing she just said. She could feel it seeping from him whether he spoke the truth or not.

  "He's not right, Jax. He wasn't there. He doesn't know. Gregore's just angry right now, because what happened to Caislyn scared him."

  "It doesn't matter. He is still right. And you know, I have been asking myself ever since I saw that silver hair on her head why I didn't care enough. Had I seen her looking like that a couple weeks ago I would have been out of my mind. I've lost my humanity." Jaxon was now the one hanging her head as she backed up so Seth could walk inside.