by Jana LaPelle
Alaric and the twins bolster my strength before I begin, it’s as if we are all on the same page and instinctively know what must be done. Taking a deep breath, I start by identifying the dark majic that has taken root at the heart of the Tree of Life. Just like with the blood contract the tendrils of dark majic are like ribbons or fingers that have closed around her heart, the very center of her being. Just like I did before, I go about, one by one, unraveling and prying each clutching, finger hold away from her thriving life force. My concentration is focused on removing them all. Every last finger hold the phantom queen has on the Tree of Life. My task has just begun, and with the help of my family, I’m able to start to hold the dark majic at bay. That’s when I hear shrieks of anger that surround us and reverberate around us as The Morrígna suddenly realize that they are losing their grip over the Tree. I can hear their fury, their unholy indignation at this turn of events.
I have no idea how long this process takes, all the while Alaric and I are caught up in this battle of wills on a plane of existence somewhere in between The Realms. It seems to take forever, and at long last I have managed, with the help of Alaric, to pry every oily, dark, tendril of their wicked majic away from the heart of the Tree of Life. All the while The Morrígna continues to push back their ribbons of dark majic, and they begin diving and thrusting back at us trying desperately to regain their foothold. Alaric and I know that the battle of wills is not yet done. I pull what strength I can from the Tree of Life, and feel Alaric and the twins pushing their majic and power toward me. While holding the darkness at bay, I allow the culmination of our conjoined powers to build to a point where I can no longer contain the power within me. Just before I unfurl the power within, I infuse it with all the light within us and then unleash this power directing the blast outward, toward the dark intruder. The explosion rips out of me like a powder keg going off, and we are at the center of the blast. I watch as the darkness all around us is forced away with one last screeching cry only to be replaced by a sense of relief and calm quiet.
Looking up at Alaric I smile and say breathlessly, “We did it, she’s free. We’re free. Now we need to lend her your healing majic. She and I now co-exist together. We will forever more be a part of one another. Do you think you can help her? Help us? The last leave has yet to fall, so there is time, can you do this?”
“Ash, I will do whatever it takes to keep you by my side, but I’m going to need your help. I will need to channel your and the twins energy, so we need to keep the link open. She is near death as you know. Once this is done, you and I need to talk about what just happened and your penchant for running off without me.” I smile and nod as I look around to discover that we are still between realms but the connection to The Tree of Life here and in The Twilight Realm is strong. Alaric looks at me in confusion before asking, “There are two?”
“Yes, they are connected somehow. The Creator said that once I ascended that things would be made clear but I still have unanswered questions. My mental block has not resolved, so we will need to seek his counsel. Alaric your healing gift is so powerful. Why do you hesitate?”
“Because I have never healed metaphorically before, always before I have laid my hands on the wound and been able to visualize what needs to be repaired or healed. I’m not sure what to do? We are suspended somewhere between realms, and I’m at a loss as to how to continue. This is all new for me.”
If the situation were not so dire, I would laugh. Instead, I look into his beautiful, blue eyes and say, “Now you know how I have felt for the last several months. Come here. Wrap your arms around me. Okay now, because I’m connected to Her, look with your mind’s eye at what needs to be healed. Use me as the conduit. Does that help?”
My handsome Elf-Man latches on to me and I can feel his majic rise up, searching for where his healing majic is most needed. As he goes to work, I find that I’m growing more and more tired. The Tree of Life is literally beginning to re-growing leaves at a rapid rate as she absorbs the healing majic that Alaric imparts, not only in the sacred meadow, attached to the Otherworld but also in The Twilight Realm. Her doppelganger is also being restored simultaneously. As Alaric concludes the two of us drop to our knees. He has me in his arms, keeping me from falling outright. I’m not sure when, but we end up in The Twilight Realm, and the both of us are spent, I sense that the twins are sleeping. Alaric runs a hand over my baby bump, and I smile. “We’re all okay, just spent.” He smiles back at me, and by the gods, I love those dimples.
Exhausted, I slump into Alaric, knowing that he too, is drained. I can’t help myself as I succumb to my exhaustion. I sense through our bond Alaric panic for a moment. He has no idea as to where we are. “It’s okay. Remember my dream realm? Well, this is it. We’re safe here. Probably safer here than any of the other realms, I have no doubt that our Creator will greet us soon. Until then, let’s rest under her canopy.” I look up at this realm’s representation of The Tree of Life. Here her bark is a silvery color, and her leaves are more of a violet, purple and shimmer in the twilight. She is exotically beautiful, and we are safe. All The Realms are safe for now, and I lean into Alaric as he begins to relax. My exhaustion is beyond anything I have felt thus far, and Alaric pulls me into his sweet embrace and holds us close. I snuggle into his chest and breathe a sigh of relief. The balance of life has been restored, and it will be maintained from this moment forward. The sound of my kindred’s heart beating beneath my ear begins to lull me to sleep.
Just before I succumb to my exhaustion I hear my Elf-Man whisper, “I’ve got you, Ash, always, mo ghrá.” And we sleep.
Chapter 3
(Ashlinn)
I wake in Alaric’s arms, but we are no longer lying under The Tree of Life. Instead, we are situated in a large comfortable bed. The light from the windows is twilight, it’s not dark or light, but the light that takes over just before the world succumbs to night, so I know that we are still in this unusual realm. The moons are enormous, and I find that I’m drawn to them. I rise awkwardly out of the comfortable bed and walk barefoot toward the moons of this realm. The doors to the balcony are open and inviting. It takes but a moment to realize that someone has removed my vest, weapons, and boots. It matters not. I’m quickly coming to terms with the fact that I am not an eighteen-year-old human, but an old soul. It is a realization that I have been struggling to come to terms with for some time, and now after what has transpired, I have no choice but to accept it. I stand before the moons and cradle the life that I carry within me and thank the god and goddess for my good fortune. We are all safe, for now. Scratch that, I thank the Creator for all my blessings, for all that I have. I now understand why Alaric and I were granted these two beautiful souls that I carry. Without them, all would’ve been lost.
Sighing, I turn back to Alaric and watch as he sleeps. By the goddess, I love that elf. He is mine, and I will never give him up, not ever. We have been through so much in such a short period of time. But are we now more? Have we ascended? I have so many questions but first, I’m starving, and my stomach growls loudly, echoing around the large chamber. Evidently, that sound alone was enough to stir Alaric, and I watch as he begins to wake. I smile as he searches for me in his bed. “I am here,” I say as his search becomes a bit frantic, and I watch as sleep recedes from those beautiful sapphire eyes. I say within our bond, “It’s okay, I’m not sure where here is but we are together, and Lillie and Lachlan are well. They are hungry but what else is new?”
He pulls up short, his bare chest catching my eye as the blanket pools around his lap. For a moment I stand transfixed, I could stare at his beautifully sculpted form for days as I admire his forearms and biceps that bear our binding marks, shaking my head I clear my thoughts as I tune into him asking, “How did we get here? I don’t remember anything after leaning back to rest against the tree. I must have dozed off.”
“I have no idea. What do you say to us exploring this place? I guess you heard my stomach growling loudly, I’m hoping we’
ll find something to eat and hopefully some answers. He said that all would be revealed once I ascended. Well, either we haven’t ascended, which I highly doubt, or I just have no memory of what He was referring to.” Looking around, I find my boots and struggle to pull them on and lace them up. Alaric is by my side in an instant and completes the task for me. Standing, I reach for him pulling him into a hug, laying my head on his chest and sigh, just needing to be close to him. For the first time in a while, the sense of urgency has been lifted. The balance has been restored, and The Tree of Life is safe. She and I have connected on a whole new level. I look up at Alaric and ask, “Can you sense Her… in me?”
“Yes, mo grá. It’s like the two of you have a link to one another, and through our link, I sense this new duality within you. Come on, it’s time to get some answers. We need to know how long we have been here. Everyone is going to be frantically worried about us. All they know is that we disappeared into The Tree of Life. We can’t linger any longer.”
Alaric quickly pulls on his boots and vest, as I look around the room. It has a semi-modern feel, ensconced in castle-like stone walls and smooth flagstone floors. I sense that there is no electricity and looking around I see similar glowing orbs, like the ones in The Otherworld that lights the rooms and corridors. Alaric takes my hand, and we quickly leave the bedroom behind and go in search of answers.
We are drawn down a large staircase by the aroma of food. My stomach once again grumbles loudly and Alaric, and I hurry through the hallways. Soon we stumble upon the kitchens, and I see that there are several people here that are busy putting together an impressive meal. The scents around me have my mouth watering, and before I can move forward into the room, I sense him, my Creator. He walks into the room, once again barefoot and in faded jeans and a tee shirt. Alaric swings his head toward me, eyebrows raised, and I smile and nod. “That’s him, not exactly what I expected either.”
“Ashliel! You are up! You and Alaric… and well your growing belly that carries the two most tenacious souls I know! Come, I assume that you must be ravenous by now.” He says enthusiastically.
Growing belly? Have the twins had another growth spurt? I frown and look down to see that he is right. My belly continues to expand to accommodate the growth of the two I carry, the change is slight and therefore I had not noticed earlier.
“Mo grá, you grow more and more beautiful daily. Do not fret.” My Elf-Man says, as his protective instincts kick in and he pulls me into his side all the while scowling at our Overworldly Father.
I can no longer ignore the fact that this pregnancy is not normal by any comparison and decide to voice my concerns, “Should their rapid growth be of concern? I knew that my shifter blood would hurry things along, but their growth seems… extreme and unnatural.”
“With your ascension and all the power that the four of you channeled earlier, your pregnancy has been sped along. I think another couple of months and Lillie and Lachlan will be greeting The Realms. My dear, I have missed you. Your soul was housed within the Soul Reliquary for what feels like eons. Ashliel, you and Alaric…”
As the twins begin their daily struggle for supremacy, I lose all patience, and my irritableness wins out. “I need for you to tell me what I need to know, I have no time for silly games. I don’t have any recollection of my apparent, previous life. I’m sorry, I… What do you mean sped along?” I ask as concern overwhelms me and I’m all but in tears.
Alaric leans in and whispers, “Ash, breathe… It’s okay.” Turning his attention to our Creator, he says through clenched teeth, “I would have thought that you would have been a bit more sensitive! She has been through a gambit of life-changing and threatening events since her awakening and now her ascension. She worries more for the two lives that she carries, and those of all The Realms more so than for her own. What is wrong with you?”
“Alaric, please, I can sense that he means well, he’s just not used to interacting with others on this level. Are you? You sent those closest to you to the other realms, and that includes those that fell.” Turning my attention back to Alaric, “I’m just being overly sensitive. Hormones, I guess. So we have learned one very important fact. These two will be arriving much sooner than we thought. Why is that?” I ask.
Before he can even answer, my stomach growls so loudly that I swear it can be heard in the other realms. He laughs and says, “I was right. Sit. Eat. Then I will tell you all you need to know. Please, you both must replenish yourselves. You have been through a lot in a short period of time. Please, both of you, you can call me Christian or Father whichever you prefer. I happened to like the name, Christian. It has a nice ring to it.”
I’m assuming that somewhere down the line he took a name, and I don’t blame him. As we sit at the large table in the adjacent alcove to the kitchen, those preparing the meal serve each of us a whole Cornish hen, served on a bed of wild rice, paired with steamed broccoli, and some delicious smelling rolls. Alaric and I are mulling over just what we will be comfortable calling our heavenly father, but then I get distracted by the tantalizing aroma of the food sat at the table in front of us. Before I can even dig in, there is a commotion in the hall, and I hear several voices say almost in unison. “Where are they?!”
Looking over to our Father, I say, “Thank you! You have no idea how much I appreciate your bringing them here.” He nods and smiles, he really is quite handsome, and for a brief moment my heart aches for him, he seems so lonely and withdrawn.
Lexie burst into the room first, her eyes land on both of us and she quickly takes stock of the situation before losing it. “It has been hours since you both disappeared into The Tree of Life. Hours!” She punctuates. Lexie recovers fairly quickly. “You were both gone! We have been so worried about you! Only to find that you are feasting in yet another realm? How could you Ashlinn? And what is the place?!” Lexie is beyond upset. If the tables were turned, I would be too. Standing, I move to hug her and Jasmine, pulling them both in close.
“I’m so sorry. After the battle of wills with The Morrígna we kind of… well… We needed a nap. I can sense that The Tree of Life has recovered and all is well, I just don’t have the answers that I thought I would have after everything that went down. Now, let’s allow our creator, to clue me into why we just ascended. If that is indeed, what we did and what our role is for The Realms moving forward. Hello, Mother, Father. I missed you.” I say, smiling over Lexie and Jasmine’s shoulder. Before I can say or do anything else, there are three large males pushing through the crowd into the room barreling right for me.
Nym looks beside himself and gets to me first. He pulls me into a gentle hug and says, “I’m not sure that I can handle being your Cerberus if you continue to go off on your own. It does not sit well with my panther or me.”
Pulling out of his hug I smile and cup his face in my hands and say, “My gentle Nym. All is well. I’m afraid that you may be in for more of the same in the future. I’m so sorry that you are tied to us, but I’m so very thankful that you are.”
“Ash, I wouldn’t change it for anything, you definitely know how to keep us on our toes.” He pulls me in for another hug before pulling back.
Tolin pushes Nym to the side and inspects me with serious eyes, “You and I are going to have to have a nice long talk, Little Bit. How can we even call ourselves your Guardians if you keep gallivanting around The Realms on your own, getting into trouble? Besides that, you have these two little bits to think of. You scared us, Ash!” Tolin scolds, as he pulls me into a soft but crushing hug and I’m left to feel horrible as I squeeze him tightly to me. They have all been so worried about us, unwanted tears leak from my eyes as I clutch Tolin to me, he has become more like a brother to me than the rest.
Alaric is at both of our sides as I pull away from Tolin, “I’m sorry, T. I can’t say that I would have changed how everything went down, but I’m truly sorry for the strife that my actions have caused.”
From behind me, Tarron says, “Mo solas, I’
m not sure that I could survive you if you had been meant for me.” He lays his hand on my shoulder as Tolin slowly lets me go. The room is now a buzz of activity. Jasmine and Camoryn are beside Tarron, and I reach over to take her hand and smile, reassuring her once again that all is well.
Before I can do or say anything else, Morgwais is pushing her small, frail-looking frame between the two large males at my side, “Ye be standing in me way, me lord. Move ye big oaf, I canna see.” Tarron, with a big smile, steps back to allow the old witch access to me and she inspects me carefully with a critical eye and then lays her frail hand on my belly. Making a tsk’ing sound, she says, “Ye be neglecting yerself again. Now, everyone let her be. She be hungry, and she be tired, and she be carrying twins. She expended much energy earlier to save The Tree of Life, she and her kindred and these babes. They all need food and rest. The crisis has been averted, for now… Ye be coming with me and will sit and eat yer meal.”
