Eden's Mark

by D. M. Sears

  Val looked between us and grasped both our hands. “ I wish you would have taken some time to think it over, Eden. You are young, you have time.”

  “Why would I wait? This whole situation has aged me. I may die tomorrow, or Gregor may. I didn’t want to waste another day without knowing what it felt like to belong to someone that I love more than my own life.”

  “I guess…I guess you have grown up.” Her hand touched my face and some fleeting emotion of loss registered in her eyes. “Promise me you two will be there for each other, no matter what happens in all this. Promise you will always keep in touch.”

  “Valora, you know I would never do anything to disrespect you or Lexington. Marcus was my dear friend and I have only ever wanted to keep Eden safe. As she has stated, it was meant to be. I felt it as soon as I saw her as an infant. My life is bound unto her for the rest of our lives. I will protect her and keep her. She is my heart.” Gregor brought his hand over his heart and then placed it over mine. I felt the warmth spread in me as his did so. I knew I would forever be madly in love with this dark, broody man. “Besides, I could never just take her away without honoring your customs as well. Once we have sorted all this out, we will have the ceremony of the Magi.”

  “Thank you, Gregor. Let us hope Lex will be back with us for such a celebration.”

  “What is the Ceremony of the Magi?”

  “It is a wonderful marriage ceremony that takes place in the light of a blue moon. It is wondrous and magical, literally.” Koren made me smile at the way he talked. Maiya kissed his cheek as his enthusiasm.

  “I see, and when were you going to tell me about this, Gregor?” I gazed at his grinning face and tried to look stern, it didn’t go that well. I ended up laughing instead.

  “Val, I need to go find him. Maybe he can even help us with Lex. It’s worth a shot, at any rate.” I needed her to be okay with my decision. However, I was going whether I had it or not.

  “Eden, it is going to be dangerous, you must use your head. If you do this, you will have to use your gifts, even if you aren’t comfortable with them, do you understand? This won’t be practice.” Val locked her eyes on mine.

  “I will be fine. Gregor will be with me, Koren and Maiya as well. I will be smart and stay safe, I promise. We will be back before you know it.” I hugged her and she squeezed me so tight, like she was never going to see me again.

  “Valora, I give you my word, as a warrior, Eden will return to you in one piece. If I fail in my duty, I will give my life to you to do with as you please. Life would not be worth living if Eden is not in it.” He set his smoldering gaze on me and my stomach did its back flip in response.

  “I will hold you to that oath, Gregor.” Gregor nodded his head and turned to leave.

  “Where are you going?” I asked him before he got away.

  “To see about supplies. We cannot go into the Yoli forest unequipped.” Gregor ducked under the flap and was gone.

  “I will go with him and get a map in order. If Amend is out there, we will find him.” Koren, always so optimistic, followed Gregor.

  Maiya came over to where Val and I were sitting. She placed her hands on our shoulders and spoke a prayer in her native tongue. “I am so happy for you, Eden. Gregor is a good man; he will be a good mate for you. Valora, we will do whatever we can to bring Lexington back from the shadows.” Very swiftly, Maiya got up and left the hut.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Dawn was upon us, and I groggily made myself get up. We had spent the majority of the night packing and repacking supplies, weapons, maps, etc. I had no idea how crazy men were about their supplies. I always thought women over-packed. Nothing compared to Gregor and Koren. We had bags filled with dried fruits and meat, one with roots and greens, one for just water skins, and don’t get me started on weapons. They packed us up like we were going to be gone for a year. I was thinking more on the lines of a week. I didn’t know how long Lex had before the shadow sickness took him, but I wasn’t going to lose him to it. This mission was going to work and fast.

  Koren and Maiya had changed form into majestic looking horses. Both stunned with the imagination they had at their animal forms. I was such a novice. We packed them up and Gregor turned to me. “Aren’t you going to change?”

  “Chang into what exactly?” I was not going to be a pack animal for him to ride.

  “I didn’t mean for that, I was meaning like a wolf or dog, something to pick up a scent.” I heard the noises and stomping coming from my friends in their horse forms.

  “Oh, I could try something like that. Although, I don’t know what is better to be, a bloodhound or a wolf?”

  I am going to go on the side of the wolf.

  I heard Koren in my head. I got the warmth of his smile and got the mental image of Maiya agreeing with him.

  Wolves are common here, as in your realm; no one will take notice to it, as compared to, say, a ‘bloodhound.’

  Maiya was right, of course, and I went about transforming into a wolf.

  I pictured a random grey wolf in my head, but something just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t me. I began to rethink my wolf. If I were a wolf, I would be medium build for agility, soft pads on my paws for stealth, a keen nose, sharp hearing, and unbelievable eyesight; I would be brown and grey, easier to blend in the shadows. I pictured my wolf in my mind and felt the shift. I opened my eyes to being on all fours covered in fur.

  Gregor scratched between my ears and I growled at him. I was not in this form to be a pet.

  “Alright, no petting.” Gregor chuckled at me and took a step back.

  Okay, there are about a million smells coming from a thousand different directions, how do I pick out which one is Amend’s, when I don’t even know what he smells like.

  Amend is Lexington’s uncle; find a smell that resembles something close to Lexington.

  You say that like it is so easy. Maybe you should try this, you do have elevated senses, vampire.

  As do you, my heart. We will find him; do not worry so much, you will do fine.

  My wolf self let out a tiny growl of frustration as we walked. We left the small village a day ago; I can still see Val crying as she waved us good-bye. I know how hard it was for her to let me go do this. The fear of losing Lex and me at the same time was more than she could stand, but she managed to keep it together.

  I loved her for that, her strength. My Aunt Valora was the only mother I knew; I am who I am because of her. I just hoped I wouldn’t let her down. I needed to find Amend so he could heal Uncle Lex. If I didn’t, he would become a shadow and we would have to kill him. That was not an option for me.

  None of us will let that happen, Eden. Your fate and the fate of your loved ones are now our burden as well.

  Maiya had a way of saying things that soothed me. Her tinkling voice made my tension ease up and I felt much calmer, more confident in my ability.

  Thank you. I am sorry you all were dragged into this. It isn’t right that you are now part of all this mess. It seems I am nothing but bad news.

  Nonsense, Eden! We offered our services, such as they are, to help in this quest of yours. Lexington has become a friend of ours, too, just as you have become like family. Maiya and I would lay down our lives for you or Gregor. Let us hope we don’t have to, though.

  He gave a mental wink that caused us to chuckle. My wolf snorted and the horses whinnied. Gregor just shook his head with a small laugh.

  We walked on in semi-silence for what seemed like hours, crossing the valley between the village and the Yoli forest. The grass that grew here was thick and the color of burnt sienna. There were no flowers, or trees. We had no cover here if we were to be attacked. Being in this place made me nervous, there were some rock formations, but nothing that could do anything for us. Our best chance was to get through this place as soon as possible. We stopped at a small spring-fed pool close to the edge of valley we were in. It was odd that a pool like this was here without any trees or foliage growing a
round it, but this valley didn’t make a whole lot of sense anyways.

  Gregor surveyed our surroundings, “This is our last stop before the forest. There is no clean water or edible plants, what we have packed must last us. Let’s rest here for a little bit.” I was happy to change back into my natural form. Being on all fours was interesting, but being on two was normal. I stretched myself out enjoying the feel of my human body. I helped Gregor unpack the bags off Koren and Maiya, they too seemed happy to be back in their natural states as well.

  We placed the packs by the small pool and Gregor and Koren set about separating our provisions. “If we get separated in the forest, we will need two separate supply packs.” Gregor nodded his approval at Koren who began stuffing two packs with identical supplies.

  Maiya had went to look for dinner/breakfast, although what she was going to find in this valley was beyond me. I rested by the pool, laying back looking up at the night sky. I began thinking of the golden sun at home ablaze in the cerulean sky. August was almost over back home, fall would be here and with it the start of my seasons. I hadn’t even realized that Halloween was just two months away. I loved fall and winter.

  I hadn’t dressed up for Halloween in ages, but I still loved going to the square in my town and watching the kids in costumes. The town put on a huge celebration each year for the children. It was meant to be a safe gathering for them to get good candy and win prizes. Val would set up her stand, selling herbal concoctions to those who wanted them. Then she would hand out glasses of her special witches brew (who knew it really was!) that made everyone see clearer in the dark. Her Wolfberry wine was for adults, but she made something similar for the kids that used citrus juices in place of alcohol. It always went over big. Lex and I would spend most of the week making homemade chocolate caramels to pass out to the children. Some of the adults would sneak some too. We made a batch for the mayor’s family each Halloween.

  I must have been lost in my thoughts because I didn’t know Maiya was back until Gregor was trying to hand me a bowl. “Hmm?” I came to and looked at Gregor, “How come no one told me Maiya was back, I could have helped.” I sat up and accepted the bowl of stew he handed me. I sat closer to the small fire that was burning. It was mainly coals so that it would be harder to see.

  “We tried, but you were lost somewhere. What were you thinking about?” I felt myself reach out to connect to my vampire. My essence slid against his making my stomach flip and my birthmark tingle. I dared not touch him, as the light would surely draw attention to us.

  “I was just thinking about fall. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. My family and I used to go all out at the town party. I am missing it.” I looked at the contents of my bowl. It had some kind of meat -- I was sure I didn’t want to know what it was – turnip-like roots, greens, and a veggie that was unfamiliar. “Where did you catch the meat?”

  “It was a bird that roosted out here in the tall of the grass. It is a hearty bird and easily caught. The hard part is finding the nests. They dig holes in the ground to roost.” Maiya was a very skilled hunter, I was learning. She was so agile and reminded me of a ninja. I would hate to be her prey.

  I took a spoonful of the stew, it was rich and had a great flavor. The meat reminded me of pheasant. It was delicious. “This is really good.” Before I knew it, I had emptied my bowl. My stomach growled as if I hadn’t eaten at all.

  “Would you like more?” Koren smiled at me and filled my bowl again.

  “Thank you. Guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” My face was pink, I could tell. I don’t remember eating this much, ever. I sat next to Gregor enjoying my second bowl of stew. He placed his arm around me as he watched us. I forgot, he couldn’t eat food like us.

  I can, but it is unpleasant when it comes back up. I am satisfied though. The blood from the bird was not wasted. It will keep me sated until we reach the forest, then I will have to hunt.

  I want to come with you.

  No. If you can survive on food, then that is what you will do. I do not want you to have to take a life, animal or not.

  You mean, you kill each thing you feed from?

  This conversation was starting to put me off my stew.

  I hunt animals, but I always ask their blessing before I feed, and they give it. I try not to hunt young ones or many with families. I give them the proper good-bye and thank them for their sacrifice. It is the way of my people. Not many of us feed off people, those who do are twisted by the dark magicks.

  Oh, I didn’t know. Do you have to kill when you feed?

  No, and most of the time, I drink a little from many sources for that reason. During the seasons for mating and birthing, I try hard to do this. I am not a killer by nature; it is the things in our world that brings the killer out in me.

  Gregor’s eyes turn to near black at his thoughts. I sent him love and watched his eyes go back to his clear grey.

  “I sense a shift in the weather. A storm is coming, Gregor. If we want to outrun it, we must get going now.” Koren and Maiya began cleaning up. Gregor used his speed to pack things as I tried to stay out of the way.

  The wind was picking up as we got some of the packs on Koren. Maiya had changed into her wolf as to help me pick up Amends scent, and Gregor carried our packs, in case we got separated. The chill that ran through me was not just from the cool wind whipping up. Something ominous was ahead of us, but I didn’t know yet what it was.

  The rain began to fall. Soft cold drops hit us at first, but before long, it was a downpour. We could see our breath in front of us and the rain was making it hard for us to sniff any scents that might help. The night wore on and so did the storm. Soon it was morning and I knew Gregor would have to leave us. Thunder cracked above us and the lightning made me jump. Everywhere we stepped sloshed and I was wearing down. My coat of fur was soaked, and I doubted Maiya and Koren felt any better than I did.

  I will not be leaving you, Eden. The sun will be covered by all these rain clouds and there is no fear from it today.

  We walked on for another couple of hours, the sun indeed shadowed by the rain clouds keeping us in a gray fog of cold wind and rain.

  We need to stop, Gregor. I am so tired and this cold is just leaching what strength I have left. I am not picking up anything anyways.

  I slumped in the grass and put my head down. I was weak and had no idea why.

  Gregor, Eden is right. This rain is washing away any scents that may have helped us. It would be better to make camp and wait this out.

  Koren, what do you think?

  I agree with Maiya. This storm isn’t getting us anywhere. Let us make camp.

  Chapter Nineteen

  We waited and waited for Gregor, we had all changed back to our natural forms. I was starting to worry when he came back to us. “I have found a place for us. It is a little ways off, but Eden and I can take you all faster if you let us carry you.”

  “What?” I looked up at Gregor; I was weak and tired, too tired to carry anyone.

  “Trust me my heart, you have our strength, you will be able to do this.” Gregor gave me his trademark look and I melted.

  “Okay, if you really think I can.”

  “I know you can.” I leaned in to kiss him, only I remembered the last time I did that in the dark and I slowly backed away.

  “We do not need you to carry us, we can shift, and all you need to worry about is the packs.” Koren and Maiya changed into small flying bugs that were what looked like a beetle and lightening bug. They both landed on my shoulder and Gregor loaded himself down with the bags.

  “Follow me, Eden, do not let me out of your sight. This is a tricky place to find. Keep our connection and if you get behind, I will come back for you.”

  I nodded at Gregor and we were off. Using our preternatural speed, we raced through the valley, winding in and out of rock piles. I was starting to lose him when I ran right into his back. I fell back with a thud into a large pile of blue rocks. “Ouch.” I winced a
s I got up, rubbing my now bruised behind, the smell instantly assaulted my nose. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you.” I was so tired; I can’t believe I didn’t feel him stop before I ran into him. I tried to keep my sleeve over my nose in hopes Gregor didn’t notice my repulsion at the fragrance around us.

  “Eden, don’t worry. Are you okay?” He looked me over and I gave him a good fake smile. I was sore, cold, and tired, not okay, but it could be worse.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, just bruised my backside on the rocks.” I looked around at the unending site of blue rocks, in all hues. “Where is this shelter you found?”

  “It is under the rocks. These rocks will mask our scent if anyone is following us.” It’s the rocks that smell as if something died out here, interesting. “If we open the ground and make shelter under them, we will have perfect protection.”

  “How are we going to do that?”

  “You remember when I told you about that special hideaway in my home?”

  “Yeah, you said if I asked the earth to open, she would. The problem is, I don’t know how to do that.” I really didn’t. Everything I had done up to this point was by pure luck.

  “I will give you the words, and if we chant them together, she will open for us, you will see.”

  Gregor and I stood side by side, careful not to touch, he filled my mind with the sacred words to call upon our Mother Earth.

  Together we chanted, “Mother, hear our plea, safety and rest in need are we, you heal us and protect us greatly, and to you, our Mother, we give our thanks.” We repeated this mantra several times with no avail. I could feel her sending her energy up to me through the ground on which we stood. I stopped and listened to her song. She wanted not our thanks, but our love, and the want of her permission for the two visitors we had with us.

  “Gregor, stop, let me try please, on my own.” I raised my hands before the earth, grounding myself in her energy. I felt her love come into me making me feel alive. The outline of my eclipse shaped birthmark lit up a soft green, the aura continued to surround me and I felt the earth through my entire being. “Mother Earth, our protector, you are most glorious in the bounty you provide. We are humbled by your love and your presence. I asked for permission to share that same protection you have granted me before with my friends. I ask that you open your ground to us and let us take refuge. There is nothing we can do to show our appreciation except let you feel it in our hearts.”