“Are you angry?” he pressed as her silence drew out.
“No,” she said meeting his eyes. “I guess maybe a little worried. I think I know how you were feeling for all those months now, worrying that I’d choose someone else.”
“Oh, my heart, no,” he said, rubbing his thumb across her hands. “I would never forsake you, just as I know you would never reject me for another.”
“Never,” Allie agreed, squeezing his hands. “I do love you both, you know that, but I couldn’t bare losing you Jess. You’re…you’re like a part of me. I need you.”
They both looked up as Shawn walked to the end of the table, standing awkwardly looking at them. “Umm, sorry to interrupt. If it’s okay with you guys I’m just going to run out and pick up some groceries. Do you want anything?”
“Thanks, Shawn, I think we’re all set, unless you want to grab some cat food,” Allie said, forcing a smile. Shawn nodded stiffly, then headed for the back door.
“Jess,” she said, deciding that she needed to tell him what she’d learned before she lost her nerve. “There is something I need to tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll…think badly of me.”
He frowned, but nodded slightly, so she pressed on. “Yesterday, while you were at the Outpost and Bleidd was out I had Jason drive me out to talk with the mage who is training me to use my abilities.”
“Allie!” Jess said, his anger filling the air around her.
“I know it was a stupid thing to do to go out, but it was after I’d seen what happened with Bleidd and I was upset. I feel like I’m ruining his life, and yours…”
“Allie,” he started, his feelings now sad and worried, but she pushed on ignoring the interruption.
“I wanted to know about this…binding you to me thing. Because she’d mentioned that when I was there learning how to shield but I hadn’t paid much attention then. So I asked her about it and she said I do it, bind you to me, because I need your energy, your emotions, and in exchange I let you – make you – feel things more vividly, more intensely,” she swallowed hard. “And I wanted to know if I could not do it and she said no, if I try to draw on people I’m not bonded to it’s not enough anymore, now that I’ve had the deeper energy, and people’s emotions will influence me. And it didn’t sound like empathy exactly and she was talking like she knew what I was. So I asked…”
“Allie,” he said more forcefully. “I already know what you are.”
“What?” she said unsure if they were talking about the same thing. “You know that I’m…”
She hesitated to say the word so he said it for her. “Bahvanshee, yes.”
She looked at him speechless, so he went on. “Bleidd knows too.”
“How? How do you know? I didn’t know,” she sputtered.
“I suspected, but when Tharien said you were an empath and described the abilities of empaths, some of which you do have I was unsure,” he said gently. “But when I realized you can heal yourself with the energy you draw and more that you pull the most energy from sexual encounters, then I was certain. Only a Bahvanshee can do that.”
Allie thought to herself, of course I can’t just be part elf I have to be a freaky type of elf that feeds on emotions. And then the irony struck her and she almost laughed, oh if only my mother had realized this she would have kept me. The Bahvanshee are so rare she must not have understood what I was, but they are almost always Dark court because people are so afraid of what they can do. She looked at Jess, who was looking calmly back at her and said, “But you…I mean…doesn’t it bother you? Aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid? Of you?” he scoffed. “My heart I have no doubt that you truly love me. You have showed me, allowed me to feel it with you. Most of your kind have such an ill reputation because they callously use people, forcing the emotions they need at great harm to the person they are taking energy from. You would never do such.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He laughed, “Because if it was in your nature to manipulate people to your own ends you would already have forced Bleidd to conform to your desires.”
“Maybe I am like that,” she said. “Maybe the only reason you love me at all is because I’ve made you feel that way. Maybe I made you decide to be with me.”
“Do I have no freewill Allie?” Jess asked, frustrated.
“What? Of course you do,” she said knowing it was true. Even if she had used her ability to make him desire her, love her, she could not alter his free will, only create a compulsion. That was what kept the Bahvanshee in check; they could create emotions and arousal in others, and if Miss Amelia was right and Allie was any indication bind people to themselves to feed more directly, but they could not remove the person’s personality and willpower. There were many stories of those who had been overcome and destroyed by their own victims.
“Then why can you not credit that I chose this?” he said, meeting her eyes and refusing to look away. “From the moment I first met you, the moment I saw you in your store, I knew there was something special about you.”
“I don’t believe in love at first sight,” she mumbled.
“Then do not call it love. But it was something, and it motivated me to pursue you, against all the advice of my family and friends. I wanted to be with you. I chose that. You make me feel alive in a way that I have never felt before. And I will not give that up. Not now and not ever, no matter what your true nature is. I have told you a thousand times you do me no harm in drawing on my emotions. Stop making yourself miserable trying to deny what you need.”
“But it changes you…”
He threw his hands up, “Then I am changed. Do you love me the less for that?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped.
“Don’t be so stubborn,” he shot back.
“But…look at you and Bleidd. A week ago you two couldn’t stand each other, now – now that you are both bonded to me, bound to me – now you are lovers and almost friends.”
“I do not see how that is a bad thing, my heart, but rest assured that is not because you somehow manipulated us into liking each other. I feared that you might choose him and reject me and I can see now that this is not so, that you can love us both. And I saw that he was willing to do anything to save your life, not to just say that he would but to actually act. You live because of him. How can I not respect that? “
She frowned trying to feel her way around the logic. Despite his words she was certain that part of the change in his attitude towards his rival was because of her own actions in joining the three of them together. “But doesn’t it seem at all odd to you that you went from being jealous of the idea of me with anyone else, especially him, to suddenly being willing to, to share me with him?”
“I think that he proved to me that his love for you is truly equal to my own, and that you have shown me that accepting his love won’t take anything away from what you feel for me,” he said more gently.
She groaned and put her head in her hands. “But I’ve ruined his life.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He saved me and I bound him to me, and now he can’t be with anyone but me, but I’m not with him I’m with you. That just seems cruel,” she said, trying to explain.
Jess nodded slowly. “Yes, that is cruel my love. So why are you rejecting him now? Does he displease you so?”
“What?” she said. “No, not at all I’m….I mean it’s just that I’m with you. And you don’t, you haven’t been willing to…I’m so confused.”
“Allie,” he said, taking her hands in his own and trying to get her to look at him. “I love you, and I know now that you love me and will not forsake me for another, even another that you also love. I…am reconsidering my feelings for Bleidd. There is much worth respecting in him and he is not an unattractive person himself. I do feel drawn to him now, where I did not before, and perhaps that is because of your influence, but it does not upset me. If you wish to share your time with him, or even if you wou
ld like us, all three, to be together, courting each other, I am not opposed to it if he is willing as well.”
“Three way courting? Would that work?” she said, trying to wrap her head around the surreal conversation. It seemed impossible that things should be able to work out this way, and yet she could not leave things with Bleidd as they were, nor could she choose him over Jess. Unless she wanted to find some way to undo the bonds she had made, if it was even possible, the only workable solution did seem to be to find a balance between the three of them.
“It will work as courting always works, with each of us exploring whether the emotions prove true and valuable. I cannot say, nor can anyone, if or how things will ultimately work out between us. All of us. But I am willing to try,” he said, and she could feel with him his eagerness at the potential new experience and she could also feel his love.
“Alright,” she said slowly. “Alright. I guess I am as willing to try as you are. I can’t deny that it’s been really stressful feeling caught between two people I care about. I’ll talk to Bleidd and see what he says.”
He sighed. “Good. But for today please try to rest.”
“Why? What’s going on that you want me to stay out of?”
He laughed lightly. “Perceptive. We plan to move on the coven when they meet today, and perhaps address another issue as well. I have asked the kelpie to stay and guard you, but I would feel better if I were not worried that you might show up in the middle of things.”
She smiled as well. “Okay, I’ll behave. Just…please try not to get killed. I can’t lose you…or Bleidd.”
He nodded, his expression serious. “I will do my best to see that we both return home to you.”
******************************
Jess moved forward through the underbrush that choked the lot next to the theater, with the other elves form his squad fanning out around him. He knew that on the opposite side Zarethyn was leading a second squad, mirroring this one as they closed in. The human police had also surrounded the building and their SWAT team, a unit of the state police called in to assist, dotted the surrounding roofline, rifles trained on the building. After much debate the decision had been made to send the elves in first, as they had a higher resistance to magic and a better chance of withstanding any spells the human coven might use. The human police had sent their mage, and as well two others also called in from the state police, but those three would be greatly outnumbered even if it proved to be a small coven. And since the group’s abilities were an unknown factor this seemed the wisest course.
Nonetheless as the elves moved forward, careful to avoid the side of the building with the hidden room’s single window, Jess worried about the danger. The best plan they could come up with was to ambush the group as it left the building after its meeting, but he knew that there were dozens of ways that this could end badly. He knew he could not fail to return to Allie, and also that he could not allow thoughts of that to distract him.
The meeting had begun an hour ago and everyone had been in position, carefully hidden outside the range of any wards, waiting since then. Finally a scant few minutes ago the police had signaled that there was movement in the building and everyone had begun closing in. Jess could feel the tension thick in the air.
Allie voice in his head startled him enough that he jerked to a stop, making the others stop as well, blades held ready. “Jess!”
“Allie, unless this is an emergency, not now,” he thought back afraid that his own thoughts of her had drawn her attention at the worst possible time.
“No listen, quickly,” she thought back and he suddenly had an image in his mind of a human woman, middle aged, blond, tall and stately. The unexpected visual input made him shake his head. “This is Candice, Liz’s best friend. She must be the leader. I’m sure of it. I mentioned her earlier, if you see her, stop her. She’s the leader.”
“Cut off the head of the serpent and the body fails?” he thought back, impressed. She didn’t answer and he pressed on, knowing his momentary pause had worried the others. But knowing who the leader was he would be certain to find the woman.
They spread out at the edge of the lot around the back door, a handful of cars the only thing breaking up the wide asphalt expanse between them and the building. Jess was confident that his squad could cover the space before the humans could fully react, but it was crucial that they wait until the last possible moment to charge, else anyone succeed in fleeing back to the building.
As he watched the door opened and people began to trickle out. He cursed silently to see them meandering out alone and in small groups, spread apart. He counted nine: four men and five women. The last one to emerge, just as the first couple was reaching one of the parked cars, was the blond woman that Allie had warned him about. He was seized with the certainty that if she was leaving she was the last and he signaled his squad to move.
“Elven Guard! Lay down your weapons and do not resist!” Jess yelled as he ran across the open space towards his target. The rest of the elves in his group spread out as well, and on the other side of the parking lot the four elves from the other squad along with Zarethyn charged as well, making the numbers even. He was dimly aware of the police also identifying themselves and then chaos.
The nearest man, an older human with short grey-ish brown hair and a heavyset frame spun towards them. He felt the spell the man was casting a moment before it was cast and dropped and rolled, the magic passing next to him. He could not identify the spell but it made his side tingle and burn slightly. He rolled back to his feet, prepared to call out a warning to Natarien who was closest to him, but it was too late. Magic was not the only weapon these humans were wielding and as Jess gained his feet again he saw the gun in the man’s hand and watched as it kicked up. He moved as fast as he could, closing the distance between them, and swung his sword down hard even as the man started to turn towards him. At the same moment that his blade took the gunman’s hand off at the wrist a shot rang out from one of the rooftop snipers and a round wound bloomed in the witch’s neck. He dropped to the ground, writhing, unable to speak.
Jess spared a glance back and saw the younger Elven Guard down on the ground and swore, but he had no time to stop. The coven clearly had no intention of surrendering peacefully. He could only hope that Natarien would receive aid from the police following behind and that his injuries were not too serious.
He remembered Allie’s warning about the leader and he set his sights on the woman who had crouched down several dozen feet from the building. She watched the mayhem unfolding with an eager expression that surprised him. She wants to by a martyr he realized. She wants them all to be martyrs, if they cannot complete their ceremony. This was very bad indeed, and Jess redoubled his efforts to reach her, dodging around a younger woman who tried to block his path. He did not kill her, but as he moved around her, avoiding the spell she was clumsily trying to cast, he struck her on the temple with the hilt of his sword knocking her out.
A few feet from the woman she finally noticed him charging at her and hastily flung a spell in his direction. He rolled to the side to let it pass, the movement saving him from a bullet winging out of the chaos behind him. It grazed his armor, sparking and smoking but not penetrating the metal. He had no time to spare to be grateful for that bit of luck though; regaining his feet he crossed the final distance between them and wrapped his arms around the woman, pinning her hands so that she could not shape any major spells.
“No!” she screamed, writhing like a wild thing in his grip. “No! Kill me you bastard! I won’t be taken alive!”
“You already have been,” Jess said coldly, pushing the woman to the ground. He sheathed his sword and reached quickly for his handcuffs, specially designed to hold mages helpless. The woman would be dangerous until she was properly bound.
As if to prove the need for his caution she began to chant, the words dark and heavy. “Invoco mortem et dolorem…”
He wrapped the silver cuffs around her wri
sts and her words cut off abruptly with a gasp as the spell within the handcuffs blocked her access to all magic. She groaned like a dying thing, redoubling her efforts to free herself, but to no avail.
He crouched with his knee wedged in her back, pinning her to the concrete sidewalk in front of the building and looked up to take stock of the scene. The two closest coven members, seeing their leader arrested had surrendered and were kneeling with their hands up, their faces shocked and despondent. The woman he had struck earlier still lay prone on the ground. At the far edge of the lot his brother and another member of the guard were dueling a human witch, magic flaring and sparking through the air. As Jess watched one of the state police mages moved towards the group to help. Another coven member was down in the middle of the lot with Mariniessa standing over him, her eyes also sweeping the area. Jess could not tell if that human lived or not, but all he cared about was that he had been subdued. The man whose hand he had severed was being attended to by the police, and Jess had no doubt that an ambulance was already en route. The couple who had first emerged from the building were on the ground next to their car, held by Elven Guard from the other squad. After a moment Jess found Brynneth kneeling next to Natarien’s still form. His eye’s met those of the elven healer’s across the parking lot and Brynneth slowly shook his head.
Jess swore again, with feeling, and he felt the barest shift in his mind. Without thinking, as he held the woman down waiting for the police to move in to his position, he reached out to the two people whose attention he had drawn. “The raid is over. We have captured the coven.”
“You were successful in taking them alive?” Bleidd thought back, surprised and pleased.
“Yes, but not without cost to ourselves,” Jess replied, not trying to hide his grief.
Into the Twilight: a Between the Worlds Novel Page 30
