Love's Battle (True Blue Trilogy)

by Angela Hayes

  “Oh, well. I um, tried to read one of your journals.” Danton held up the one in his lap. “I haven’t mastered Russian yet, so it’s been tough.”

  I laughed, that was a huge understatement. “Let me grab a cup of coffee and I’ll read it to you.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Returning, two steaming cup in hand I sat beside him. “You know what I’d like more?”

  “What?”

  “A good morning kiss.”

  Danton’s mouth was better than the first shot of liquid caffeine waiting in my cup. I was breathless when we broke apart, happy to see the feelings between us hadn’t died out after being quenched. If anything they were more potent. “Enough of that, for now, we’ve got all day.” I promised, handing him his cup.

  “Don’t forget the night.” Danton reminded me.

  I giggled. The night was fun. “Here, first let me put these things in order. I‘ll tell you of them as I lived them. It‘ll be easier for you to remember that way.”

  My coffee table wasn’t big enough to contain it all, so I pushed it back and spread everything out on the floor, correlating the saved tokens from each life with the correct journals into nine different piles. Due to our rather hasty ending in the seventeenth century, I was one short, and the journal from this life is currently in the works and off limits, so its presence would not be required!

  “You already know that we were born in Scotland. You’ve already seen my plaid. The ink in the primordial journal has faded so badly that you won’t be able to read it, but I can tell you what it says word for word if you’d like.”

  “How can you do that?”

  “Photographic memory,” I tapped my head. “Remember I forget nothing. It’s all there, over eleven hundred years of knowledge separated into files, just waiting for me to open them and take it out.” I looked up, catching the shock on Danton’s face and paused. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah, go on.”

  “Are you sure? It’s not too much?”

  “No, I’m okay, I’m okay. It just threw me for a loop. I’ll have to make sure I write down all key dates so I don’t forget and wind up in the dog house.” He laughed.

  “Our second life we were born in Norway in the year nine hundred- twenty-one. We were Vikings and as such Norse mythology played a great role in our daily lives. These are my wedding circlet and bracelet,” I pointed to the engravings, “The cats are separated on either side by rose quartz, symbols of the goddess Freya. On either side of the cats are ionite gemstones, they are also known as the Viking’s Compass and are believed to bring accord between husband and wife.

  “Third we were born in Hungary where we later relocated back to Scotland. A blessing, the move took us back to our homelands, allowing us the final help we needed to escape the tyrannical thumb of our father. There are benefits to having matched the king and his queen. The cross was a gift from Margaret after she married Malcolm III.”

  I pointed to the fourth grouping. “Moving on, that brings us to twelfth century Belgium and we have a hand woven tapestry depicting the banner of the Holy Roman Empire and some baby clothes. We made our living as weavers. Faith was blessed with a true gift, you should see the tapestries she has hanging in her living room, they’re beautiful. I on the other hand only do passable work.

  “Our fifth life, we started out in France and moved to England when our charge Isabella married King John. This handkerchief was embroidered by Isabella herself and those are the spurs from when my husband was knighted. The journal you picked up goes here with the horse carvings, they were my children’s toys from our sixth life in Russia. Here, I’ll read it for you.” Passing me the journal I began to read out loud.

  “English Love, I can understand Russian about as well as I can read it.”

  “Sorry. February ninth, thirteen hundred-sixteen. Today is much the same as yesterday, the weather is bitter cold, we feel Mother Nature’s sting with every gust of wind she sends our way. The frigid air keeps finding its way into our home through the slightest crack. The snow drifts are over my head. I cannot wait for it to melt. In the meantime I have taken to dressing the children and myself in numerous layers to keep us warm.

  “Every day Leonid looks more like his father, he’ll be teething soon. Ruslan has once again been called away to help set down the Tarter raids. When he comes home Evegeniya will be walking. She grows sweeter with every day that passes. Her father will have his hands full when she is ready for marriage. She will be a beauty to behold.

  “Nadezha’s Elizaveta has begun to sit up and though she will not say it, I know she too fears for Grigoriy’s return as well as Vera for her Basil. The new shipment of horses waiting to be trained upon their return keeps our hopes high and our hands busy.”

  I shivered just remembering the cold.

  “You didn’t like the snow much?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Your tone, the way you read the entry. The way you’re shivering now and I can see the goose bumps on your skin.”

  It wasn’t just remembering the cold that cause the pimpling of flesh. A lot of it had to do with the way Danton trailed his finger along the opening of my robe.

  “Just a little. I love the first snow fall of the year, it’s so magical. After that, I could care less. I still feel the same way. Although for some reason that year, the winter was worse than usual? Hmmm.”

  “How about I warm you up?”

  “Why don’t you just do that!” I encouraged, throwing my arms around the man I loved and pulled him close as we lay back on the couch. The rest of my timeline could wait until later.

  Outside a white crow took her place on the railing.

  ****

  I hated to see Danton go, but he was in need of a fresh set of clothes and his toothbrush. I desperately needed to bestow some of my attention on the lingering thesis from Hell that demanded to be written in blood. I tried to concentrate, but only half of my mind was on proof reading. The other half was busy rerunning the day and previous night. Together we repacked my chest of its cargo- Jorrin’s medal of honor along with a set of Zale and Ziven’s first blueprints- covered with mistakes. Items that were still hard to look at in the light of day- had been returned to their corner home. I answered any questions Danton came up freely, as well as a few he didn’t. Taking him back into my room I showed him the gold and jade dragon wrap necklace that was a gift from Boyd during our first visit to Japan. Pointed out First Lady Helen Taft among the loving arms of my sisters and I dressed in traditional kimonos in our tenth life.

  Danton had handled the stories of my prior lives with amazing finesse and I can only pray that he had really, truly understood and had accepted everything I’d revealed to him these past days.

  When the knock sounded at my door, I checked my watch. Danton wasn’t due back for at least another hour and I wasn’t expecting any visitors.

  “Love it’s Hope. Can I come in?”

  Setting my pen and paper to the side I went to open the door. Taking into account Hope’s radical shifting mood swings, she was the last person I expected to see and I told her that much in the chilliest tones I could voice.

  “This is a surprise.”

  “I’m not interrupting am I?”

  “No.” I stepped out of the doorway to let her in. “Now is fine. Danton won’t be back for a while yet.”

  “Oh, you worked everything out?” Hope asked, sounding properly castigated by her earlier erratic behavior.

  I didn’t have it in me to stay mad at her for much longer.

  “Just last night. I didn’t thank you for setting up the get together with his mom, it really helped.”

  “You’re welcome. That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you mind?”

  “No, have a seat.”

  “I need to apologize. I haven’t been very fair to you lately.” Hope began, taking a seat on the soft.

  “That’s okay, I understand.” I nodded, sitting beside h
er.

  “Do you, really?”

  I thought I did until I looked, really looked into Hope’s reverse colored eyes. The damage I saw reflected there cut me down deep. There was so much pain. “I thought I did. Now I’m not so sure.”

  “I try so hard to hide it, to go on like there’s nothing wrong, but it’s getting worse. I thought I could inure myself against it but it’s too strong. I’m so envious of you and Faith that it’s tearing me up inside. You find your other halves again and again while I

  stand back too petrified and spineless to go on. Unable to take the step that will fill the void in my heart that grows daily.”

  I sat in silence as Hope laid her tormented soul bare for me to see, my eyes filling with tears at her suffering.

  “I see you day after day so sanguine and positive, so sure of yourself- never serious and it comes so easy for you, this unfettered emotional freedom. I look at you and I get so covetous. It’s everything I want and can’t have, so I wrap myself in a cloak of monotony just so that I can find a small bit of peace, but it never lasts.” Hope’s words hitched on a broken sob. “Because I remember, I remember being carefree and blithe and I was so happy in who I was and I then remember what it cost us. What I cost us.” Hope clarified, “My actions lead to our death! I killed us, I killed us!”

  As the tears fell I gathered my broken and battered sister into my arms and held her, doing what I could to calm the maelstrom that raged inside her. When the tears began to subside I took her wet and ravaged face in my hands forcing her to look at me.

  Outside, swinging, in my hammock, Avelbane in the form of a little girl sang her comforting lullaby.

  “Hope, I want you to listen to me. No one blames you. Not Faith and certainly not me. We love you. What happened in Massachusetts happened because there is true evil in this world. Evil that does it’s best to taint our lives and contaminate our happiness. If we give in, if we cease to fight for the joy that life offers us, than we lose. We can let that happen, YOU can’t let that happen. You’ve come too far to give up now and I love you too much to see you waste away another one of your lives grieving. You need to forgive yourself, release the bonds of self-inflicted blame and live again. No one holds you responsible but you. When you absolve yourself, you’ll find true happiness once again.”

  Hope wiped at her eyes and sniffed. “Since when did you get so smart?”

  To distract her I picked up my discarded draft and waved it around. “Since I decided I needed a PhD. But I’m pretty sure intelligence runs in the family.”

  “Yeah, well I’m feeling pretty stupid right now.”

  “Hey, I’ve got a cure for that too.”

  “What is it?”

  “Chocolate brownies and sex.”

  Hope‘s brow rose. “I’ll pass on the sex for now.”

  “Well, if anyone has a right to commitment issues, it’s you!”

  Hope gave a water laugh, a good sign. “Don’t I know it, but I will take you up on

  the brownies. They sound good. Got any ice cream to go with it?”

  “You bet I do.” I reverted into my most uppity accent. “Step into my office and Doctor Howard shall provide you with a sure fire prescription. A guaranteed no fail remedy.”

  “I for one will never argue with a good doctor.”

  “Let Avelbane in, she like brownies too.”

  ****

  “So what did you do while I was gone?” Danton asked when he finally got his breath back later that same evening.

  I reached over to pull the sheets across our naked bodies. “I cleaned up, gorged on brownies and ice cream, and had a visit from Hope.”

  “Oh, and how is your sister?”

  I thought back to the ringing of Hope’s laughter at one of Avelbane’s childish antics, the sound unforced. A slight spring in her step when she left.

  “Good. I think with more work she’ll eventually be okay.”

  “Good.”

  “She’s planning our wedding for us.”

  “Is she?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well, that’s a load off. There’s only one thing left for us to do then.”

  “What’s that?” I asked, as Danton drew me into his arms.

  “Practice for the honeymoon. But before we do, I have something for you.” Reaching into the overnight bag he brought with him, Danton pulled out a familiar white box topped with purple ribbon.

  “Danton. I don’t need gifts.” I told him, heart in my throat.

  “Love, you deserve more than I can give you. You’ve opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed. You’ve shown me magic and the love that comes from finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. I want you to know, here, while it’s just the two of us that what I’m saying is un-coerced and pure.”

  Handing me the box I looked inside. I knew who it was immediately.

  With shaking hands I took the figurine out of the box. The woman, like the previous trinkets I’d given Danton was beautifully crafted. Long blonde hair traveled over a gray dress and in her hands were a silver comb. Looking close I could see that her black eyes were rimmed in red.

  “Avelbane.” I whispered, stunned.

  “I’ve never met a banshee before and I have to admit she threw me for a loop. She’s got a few interesting tricks up her sleeve. She also had a few interesting things to tell me.”

  “She did?” I asked, stunned. This was the first time I’d ever known of that Avelbane had shown herself to someone other than my sisters, Cinaed, and I.

  “Yes.”

  “And…” I asked Danton, anxious to know what they’d talked about.

  “She told me that you have a wish you’ve never mentioned to anyone. A wish that you could be like Faith and have the same soul come to you in more than one life.”

  “How did she…?” My mind was spinning. “Is it even possible?”

  “From what she said it is and I can think of no one I’d rather spend the rest of this life and the next with. That is, if you would do me the great honor, Gra, daughter of Cinaed mac Alpin of becoming my wife.”

  Speechless I could only wrap my arms around Danton’s neck and cry.

  Chapter 51

  Here Comes the Bride

  Love

  The morning dawned clear and bright, the air uncommonly warm. With the projected daily forecast calling for blue skies and highs in the sixties. A brisk autumn cold front would be descending upon the region within the coming week, bringing with it the first taste of winter. But today…oh…today was perfect. Hope had gone above and beyond in her role as wedding planner and I was sure a new branch of True Blue was in the works.

  The Irvine Nature Center was the perfect spot for an end of the year outdoor wedding. Standing on a crested hill top, Caves Valley rolled and tumbled down below us in lush carpets that held the last greenery of the season. Around us flaming trees of orange and red encircled the family and friends joining us on this wonderful day. The sights, sounds, and smells of visitors enjoying the ongoing Pumpkin Festival yards away only added to the excitement of the day.

  Going over my last minute mental check list I made sure I had everything I needed. I didn’t want to jinx the big day. There was “something old”- the vintage rubies and seed pearls at my throat. “Something new”- the exquisite form fitting strapless dress of cream colored French lace with its low cut back and tiered layers flowing gently from mid thigh into the flared mermaid skirt. Gracing my feet were a ravishing pair of fabric lace ribbon appliquéd peep toe heels by Maritinez Valero. “Something borrowed”-

  Chanton’s well-matched rubies winked from my ears. “Something blue”…well…blue… That was everywhere.

  Peeking out from behind the ivy-covered trellis that hid me from the groom’s view I could see Danton’s father, Carmine, seated on Chanton’s left—their blue aura surprisingly nice and strong—while to her right sat the largely ignored frog number four. Melanie and Everett sat among the groom’s side with
Rich and Carrie- talk about a small world. Jon had brought a girl with him whose name I didn’t bother to remember- she wouldn’t be with him for long. I’d make sure of that! I was already forming a plan to re-introduce him to Danton’s cousin the highly efficient Miss Sophie, in a new light. By this time next year I intended to see another branch of the DeAngelo family tree sprouting roots of its own.

  On the bride’s side Molly, wearing her engagement ring, sat beside Jeffery among the other employees from my museum. Pretty little Claire sat on her mother’s knee, her father’s arm wrapped around them. There was Mr. Dillon and his wife Hazel, their blue aura shinning bright. I made a mental note to introduce Mrs. Perceval’s granddaughter Zoe to Kevin, frog number four. Poor thing might as well get something good out of the deal since I foresaw a divorce in his upcoming future. Hopefully a renewal of wedding vows that have been waiting patiently in the wings for a certain mother and father in law’s eyes to be open wasn’t too far off.

  A flash of black hidden among the trees caught my eye. A raddled old crone with white hair brushing the ground and crippled with arthritis graced us with her presence. Before my eyes she transformed into a beautiful matron, a lovely young girl, and finally as a white crow she took to the skies.

  As the orchestra began Martini’s Plaisir d’amour Faith gave me a saucy wink, starting down the white linen path that would lead me directly to my husband. Dressed in a tea length gown of pale copper tied with a ruby sash and wearing matching wine colored Nappa Booties by Valentino, Hope, clutching her twine tied fall bouquet of white dahlias, chocolate cosmos, and orange berries blew me a kiss as she began her walk. Hearing the change in the bridal march, it was my turn. Taking a deep breath I took the first of the last steps I would take as Love Howard.

  Chapter 52

  Danton

  I really wanted to be here. Surrounded by the happy sound of children’s laughter echoing in the distance. The smell of fresh caramel apples, pumpkins, and cider scenting in the air as I stood beside the priest waiting for Love. She was radiant, her honey colored hair pulled off her neck the way I liked and threaded through with a satin ribbon. She was a vision of splendor; the first jewels my father had given my mother hanging proudly at her ears. With every step that brought her closer the feelings in my heart grew. It felt so right to have her standing at my side, her hand in mine.