by Ann Cory
"That I believe. The powers of a warlock as great as Blagden's could make a person do anything, even if it were something you never dreamt they could. You must not think poorly of Derik, he is hurting greatly inside. In the day he wanders around, crying out your name and holding onto every bit of memory he has of you. I believe it is what keeps him sane," Lachlan continued. "Derik will not be able to find his way back alone. It will be up to you to guide him on his rightful path."
"I would do anything to get him back. He is all I have. But what can I do?"
Lachlan rested his elbows on the table and stroked his beard. "I was confident in your devotion to him, and that is why I am here. Know that what you will need to do is very dangerous and I cannot guarantee it will work. My powers are not as potent as they once were, and I am no match for the intense darkness Blagden controls. I can only keep to my sentiment that good prevails over bad, and light over darkness."
He opened his palm to show her the symbol of the sun she had first seen. "I always carry light with me. Most of all, I believe in the magic of love. While that may only be in theory, I hope you prove to me what I have believed to be true for hundreds of years."
Minna wasn't entirely sure what would be asked of her, but her heart belonged to Derik. Nothing would stand in her way of finding him, now that she knew he was alive.
She cleared the table to appease her restless legs and sat back down.
"Lachlan, what must I do? You claim my love will set him free, but you also have made it clear that Blagden holds powers that even a wizard cannot match. How can I possibly find him and bring him back?"
From his pocket, the wizard took out three colored stones—one blue, one black, and one a stunning, translucent white.
"These three stones represent three different life forms in which you will be able to shape shift into."
The words made Minna dizzy. "I will shape shift?"
"Yes, I never said this would be easy, but if you believe in the power of love, you will find an inner strength. The blue stone will turn you into a blue jay, and it allows you to fly only by day to search for Derik's whereabouts."
She could hardly believe any of this was possible. "I'm sorry. Fly?"
The wizard nodded. "Yes, my dear. When we are dealing with the forces of both good and evil, you must have an open mind. You cannot stop the darkness with a blind eye or heart."
"I will try."
Lachlan's eyes darkened. "I fear if you only try, you will fail. You must believe."
Minna's lungs were tight. It troubled her to hear Derik was alive, but not well. Within reach, but far enough away that she would need wings to find him.
"I am listening."
"Good girl. Now then, both the black and white stones will allow you to fly day or night, so it is important to choose wisely and not waste the energy of the stone. The black one will transform you into a crow, with keen eyesight and vast knowledge. I don't know what you've learned of the crow, other than to banish them from your garden, but they are intelligent creatures and deserve respect."
"I had always thought them irritating before."
He laughed and it erased the darkness from his eyes. "As do most people. I believe you will think differently of them from here on out. The white stone will turn you into an owl, a mighty hunter with a need to conquer prey. In this form you must be wary of your thoughts and appetite. There is a strong urge to kill that comes with the owl form."
"Right. I will remember."
"Each of these powers lasts only a short time, so your search will be limited. As the owl you will stay in form the longest. I cannot stress it enough, please choose the stones carefully. Develop a plan and see it through. Your heart will be your guide, but you will have the necessary wings with which to fly."
Minna sighed. "It helps so much to know that you believe in me."
Lachlan handed her the stones and a small velvet pouch.
"This will keep them safe until you need them. When you are ready, place the stone you wish to use in the palm of your hand and state what you desire to become. You must be specific and your words must exude confidence or the spell will not likely take place. Your confidence is in the form of your love for Derik. If it is strong, the stone shall reflect that. But please, use caution; you have only a few hours as the blue jay and crow. Do not waste time, use it to your advantage. For however far you travel, you must also travel back, or risk being stranded a great distance from your home."
Minna fingered the smooth stones in her hands and repeated in her mind what each one stood for.
"Thank you, Lachlan, you are kind to relate all this to me. What can I do for you in return?"
"Dear lady, all I ask is that you bring your true love home, and nothing more. It will not be easy, in fact, I fear the dangers you may face."
"If it means bringing the man I love home, then it will be worth whatever risks I must endure. What do I do when I find him? If I am in a different form, how will we be able to communicate?"
He placed his hand on her shoulder and sighed. "Alas, I do not have all the answers."
She sighed and stuck out her bottom lip. "Not even a hint?"
The wizard smiled, his eyes lit up like stars in a midnight sky. "You will find a way, child. That is something I simply cannot help you with. I believe that in your heart, you will find the words necessary and express them in ways only he would understand. The stones are merely tools to aid you. Beyond that, without your strength and willingness, they will be of little use to you."
"I understand."
He took a few steps with his staff and stood at the door. "I must go now. This old body has grown tired and requires rest. I hope the next time we meet it is with your true love at your side."
Minna rushed over and embraced the wizard. For the first time in months, her sense of hope had been renewed, and it meant more to her than anything else. A new fire burned inside her, a torch that would lead her to Derik.
"Thank you, Lachlan. However my mother helped you, I am grateful. It comforts me to know you met her. I have a feeling she thought highly of you."
"Take care, my dear, I have faith in you. I believe you will find Derik and save him. In more ways than one."
The wizard walked out the door and vanished into the late morning sun.
Minna paced around her home and thought about all the times her instincts told her Derik was still alive. A messenger had been sent, in the form of a wizard, to let her know her beliefs were correct. Everyone else had pushed her to move on and give up on any notion of his return. Did no one fight for love anymore? Was she naïve to think two people were meant to be together forever?
She'd found a purpose. Since the day she and Derik met, Minna knew in her heart their love would serve as a guide. They had a bond stronger than either could imagine. Their love was pure and everlasting, even when they were apart.
Minna looked toward the figurine. Perhaps Derik was right; perhaps the fairies did represent their love. She would prove that theory, when her love took flight. The pouch of stones lay in her hands, giving her hope, a blazoned path to the man she loved.
Twirling around the room, her skirts swished about her ankles. Minna wanted to run through town and shout to anyone who would listen about her good news. She knew Lessier believed Derik to be dead, but she had refused to give in. No one could convince her of something so painful, so terribly final. If he were dead, a part of her would have died too. Life still pulsed in her veins and it would continue to so long as she kept faith that true love conquered all.
* * *
Blagden knew the moment of triumph was near. King Villaire was too soft and would cave eventually. Patience wasn't Blagden's strong point, but his was a victory in progress, and he would hold out as long as it took.
His stupid beast was not nearly as threatening as he'd hoped, and spared the lives of too many people. He could shred twenty humans in one swoop of his claw if he wanted. No, somehow Derik's sensitivity interfered with par
t of the beast's brain. Even with the use of the amulet.
Blagden wanted to conquer the kingdom. The only way to accomplish such a feat was through the death of children. They were the perfect bait. The warlock knew there wasn't a king alive who could stand to have a child's death weigh on his shoulders. Too many people would be after his blood then.
Blagden smiled smugly. Each day he came closer to conquering kingdoms and making people do as he ordered. He was born for this kind of life, to be a leader, and to take down those around him. Manipulation was his tool, and control was his for the taking. He owed his success to the red amulet he wore around his neck.
After he conquered Bramstead, he would move on to Mority where Syrina's father would be the next king he would overthrow. Granted, Syrina had been a mighty sorceress at one time, but she made a fatal mistake by falling for him. She had claimed to hold so much power, but she couldn't see the obvious before her eyes. By pretending he had romantic intentions, Blagden had taken the single, most powerful source of magic away from her, and now it belonged to him. Fused with some of his birth magic, he was a force no one could touch. The hateful way Syrina looked upon him now only made him crave the destruction of all those lives more, and to rule the world.
Blagden knew he and Syrina could never have been together, she was much too innocent and would have stood in his way of corruption. In her grasp was the key to eternal damnation, and she denied it. She believed in using power for good, and not for its rightful purpose, destruction. It was too bad, really. She was an eye-catching beauty and a rapacious lover—god, how he had loved her lithe thighs clenched tightly around him—but he wanted vengeance more.
Blagden waited for signs of the beast, knowing full well he had ventured into the forest to mourn over the terrible things he'd done. It amused him to see a man with such strong ethics lose his mind day by day and crumble. With a smile, he chanted one of his favorite spells.
"Portathos moraingah goziebos mantahalos fortzita vlackool."
The skies turned from deep ebony to a sinful red while the wind gusted wildly. Games. Everything was meant to be toyed with, especially people, and it more than pleased him. Blagden knew if his father were alive, he would be furious and think him ignorant. His mother would say he was selfish and a bad seed. But he didn't care. Their family had never been close, and he couldn't remember a time he'd missed their presence.
It had been pure genius to lure the hungry creatures to his home in the middle of the night and watch them feed upon his family. Creatures he created from pure evil. All he had to do was promise them a lifetime supply of food. And he'd made good on his promise with blood and carnage, killing off people one by one. Darkness was the company he reveled in, and it comforted him.
Chapter Five
As Minna celebrated the news about Derik, she remembered her mother's last words. A spiritual guardian would watch over her in times of need—clearly, Lachlan was the guide, to keep her safe and protected.
"Thank you, Mother," she whispered aloud.
Her father had passed away early on, a result of an infection that spread throughout his body. She remembered the way her parents whispered to one another with such love and devotion, exchanging plans of their future up until his final breath. Minna never questioned her parent's feelings for one another, for they showed it every day.
After the death of her father, she watched the changes in her mother. She was never the same. Her spark had left, along with her desire to live. She claimed that inside she had died, her balance had vanished, and she would never be complete again. Minna imagined herself the same one day, if she ever lost her own true love.
With Lachlan's visit and her mother's spirit, she had everything she needed to change the course of her future. They had lost enough time and she needed to return Derik to the place he belonged.
Minna emptied the pouch into her hand and ran her finger along each of the stones' smooth surfaces. It was hard to believe how much magic there was inside them. Her trust in Lachlan calmed some of her worries and doubts about changing form.
She chose to become a blue jay and utilize the rest of the day to her advantage. To wait another day would not do. The sooner Derik was in her arms, the better off they would both be. She would not be able to sleep knowing there was the possibility of finding a trace of Derik's whereabouts. Lachlan's words repeated in her head. Open mind. Belief. Faith. All the tools she needed to help her succeed in her journey.
With the sleek blue stone in the palm of her hand, she trembled. She could feel its power soak through her skin and seep into her veins. Currents of energy jolted through her pores. Minna hurried to the window and lodged a medium-sized stick between it and the ledge, to keep it open. It wouldn't do her any good to change and not be able to get out the window. She rubbed the stone, feeling the magic radiate within her.
"With this stone, make me into a blue jay. Give me wings with which to seek my love."
Before she'd even finished her words, the room changed. The doorway stretched and loomed like an elongated pillar, towering high above her. Minna feared it would fall and crush her flat. She listened to the frightening sounds of bones crunching and tried to ignore the fact they were hers.
Her vision was skewed, and things appeared in a different color. On tiny stilts for legs, she was light and skittish. What was once her furniture now resembled dark buildings, with no possible way to the top. Specks of dust she'd let gather in the corners looked more like pebbles. Her heart pounded fiercely inside her meek, feathery chest. Now was not the time to be scared. Fear would only keep her from her intended destination.
She tested her wings and spread them out as far as she could, feeling a noticeable tug at her shoulders. Confidently she raised and lowered them, surprised at how much strength such a small creature could encompass. The pebbles in the corner stirred as she flapped faster, sending them all over the place like a sand storm.
With swift, diminutive flaps, she lifted herself off the ground and onto the window ledge. She hoped her little wings would hold out for a fair amount of time. Her strange eyes scanned the outside world and she felt her tiny heart beat faster. This had to be the scariest thing she had ever done.
Minna looked up into the sky. It seemed a great distance to go. There wasn't a moment to lose. If she second-guessed herself, she'd never find Derik in time and she wanted to be back before dark. With a slight lift of her bird legs and a steady wing beat, she found herself soaring higher and higher. The golden sunlight blazed majestically across her back.
Minna heard the other birds sing their hellos and welcomes, thinking her new to the parts. She whistled back with the hope it sounded cordial, though she hadn't a clue what language birds spoke. The light breeze rustled her feathers and helped her stay steady. Feeling more confident, she dipped and soared, always keeping an eye out for signs of movement down below.
When she looked out and around, it didn't seem as though she was going very fast, but when she looked down and watched the fields and trees rush by, she knew in her bird form she was covering a lot of ground. More than she ever could on her own two feet. It didn't take long before she found herself comfortable and enjoying the new experience. Every once in awhile she realized her beak was wide open, usually after she half swallowed an innocent bug. She had no intention of changing her diet to include insects.
As she flew further on, a shiny object in the grass below caught her attention. Minna flew down for a closer look. Out of a nearby brush, a fawn hopped, startling her. It was very sweet to look at when she was bigger, but not as a bird.
Everything was enormous compared to her scrawny size. She escaped to the safety of the sky, fearing she'd be prey for any animal on land.
After circling the forest several times over, she decided it was safe enough and swooped down. At once she recognized the object. A silver chain with a tiny chalice. It was a gift she had made for Derik. Her heart skipped a beat. A sign. Actual proof that he'd been there. How had Lessier's men
missed such an important sighting?
She tried many times to pick up the chain, but found it difficult in her current form. Wings did not work as hands or fingers.
Several attempts later, she finally grasped it in her beak. Minna marked in her mind where she'd flown and headed for home, concerned with becoming lost and how much time she'd been out. As Lachlan had said, she needed to remember her journey was two ways, and to not go too far.
With an item of Derik's in her possession, nothing would stop her from reuniting with her love.
When Minna returned home, the sun had started to set and her stomach grumbled. She landed on the ledge and hopped down to the floor. The chain had been heavy and kept her from flying as high. Eyes closed, she waited for the change to take place. The transformation from a blue jay back to a human was equally frightening and physically draining. Her muscles hurt and she was afraid she'd torn something. Even holding her head up was a chore.
Lying among the scattered dust, she glanced around. Everything was back to normal, or at least normal for her. Tables looked like tables and the door wasn't so intimidating.
Minna tried to stand, but her legs hadn't regained their strength. Slowly she dragged herself to the table and climbed into the chair. Between her fingers, she stroked the silver chain. A smudge of red stuck fast to the pendant, and no matter how much she rubbed at it, the stain wouldn't disappear. Her breath caught in her throat. She hoped it wasn't blood. If it were, she worried where it came from. The thought of her beloved killing innocent people, even if he was under a terrible curse, was almost too much for her mind to fathom.
Still, she kept strong to the bond they shared. She grasped the chain tightly in her hand and looked out toward the moon.
"My love, if you can hear me, I know you are out there, lost and confused. Trust that I am coming for you to bring you back to the place where our love has been placed on hold. Our time apart has been much too long. Do not forget who I am or that I love you."
Tears begged to tumble down her cheeks, but she refused them. Enough feeling sorry for herself. He was alive, and that in itself was a precious gift. To successfully bring Derik back, she would need to remain strong.
