by Lynn Landes
Serenity reaches out and grasps Michaels hand in her own. She feels his rage building along with the guilt and shame. Noel kisses her grandson and hurries to the kitchen. “After cookies, bed for you little man,” they hear her saying to him.
“Michael, this is not your fault!” Nick attempts to say. Michael leaps up and disappears.
“Nick, if this is true then she was murdered! This doctor, where does she live! That’s where he’s going!” Serenity says panicked.
Nick grabs her hand and transports them following Michael’s lead. They arrive at the front door just as Michael kicks his way inside, screaming for her. “Show yourself you coward!” Michael’s rage can’t be contained. He rushes through her house hoping to find her and make her pay for destroying his family.
“Son! You can’t just barge through her home!” Nick yells from behind him. Serenity follows Nick and walks slowly through the house. Dust is everywhere, she turns to walk back into the kitchen and notices dirty dishes piled in the sink. The smell in the house is horrible and it looks like nobody has lived here for some time. Serenity walks through the kitchen, and decides to open the refrigerator to check for food, her scream echoes through the house. She sees a human head staring back at her through sightless eyes. The body has been shoved into the small space of the refrigerator and Serenity stumbles backwards in horror.
Her screams startles Michael out of his rage. Fear for her safety has him rushing through the house to her side. Nick has pulled her away from the refrigerator and has her in his arms. “Michael! Dr. Chow is inside of it!” he snarls.
Michael looks and slams the door quickly. “Let’s go.”
They return to the safety of Michael’s home and finds Noel waiting. Held in the safety of Michaels arms her tremors slow. “This is worse than I thought!” Nick tells them. “Ayva has to be dealt with now, I’m calling the hunters.”
Serenity backs away to let the family handle this. She needs to think. Slowly she walks over to the book on the table. In the background she hears Nick talking to Michael and Noel about calling the authorities. Things are handled differently in the North Pole. There is a council of elders who will meet and decide on the punishment. They will send out hunters who will attempt to capture Ayva. “Michael, I can stay with the boys. You should go, and meet with them, to search for clues at the doctor’s house.”
Michael kisses her head and turns to leave. “Will you watch over my boys for me, Serenity?”
“With my life, Michael,” she promises.
After they leave Serenity checks on the boys and find them fast asleep. Baron is sleeping in the hall between the two rooms. “Good boy, Baron.” She returns to the living room and finds the book waiting for her.
Drawn to it out of curiosity, she flips to the marker holding the spot Nick indicated and reads:
Winter Queen
When darkness falls, the Queen will rise
She will bring peace to the pain inside
The Queen walks in beauty, grace, and light
But the Dark one is fierce, and ready to fight!
Ultimate power is her heart’s desire,
She will bring pain, agony and fire!
Destruction and fear she leaves in her wake,
The Queen will see and her heart will break
Sacrificing herself to save them all.
Serenity closes the book and a piece of paper falls to the floor. She opens it and finds a map to the Well of Souls! Nick must have known she would read this! She tucks it in her pocket and walks back to the bedroom where the boys sleep. She smiles when she finds Baron, in bed with Nate. Sincere is snuggled up with his blanket. Gently she pulls the covers up and tucks them in. In her heart she hears the promise she made to Michael, “With my life,” she whispers as she watches the rise of fall of little chests. Her destiny is set it seems, she will follow this path and protect this family.
Michael returns exhausted three hours later. It is four in the morning, the fire is banked and the house is quiet. He heads straight to the boys rooms thankful to find them sound asleep, with Baron guarding them. Nick and Noel promised to return in the morning to pick up the boys. It is time to start the journey to the Well of Souls. How will he look at Serenity knowing what they ask of her?
With a deep sigh he turns to go to her room but stops. She needs her rest and so does he. His bedroom door is cracked, and when he walks in he discovers Serenity asleep in his bed. She is wearing his shirt again, he smiles and strips. When he climbs into bed she mumbles and snuggles close as he pulls her into his arms and holds her tightly against him. He drifts asleep thanking God for bringing her into his life. Serenity feels him pull her close and she sighs. In a few hours he will hate her, but now in this moment she can pretend she is his and he is hers.
Chapter 11
“Dad!” Nathan’s voice whispers as he shakes him awake. “Dad, wake up!”
“I’m up, what’s wrong?” he asks sitting up quickly. The adrenaline coursing through his body has his heart beating hard. He reaches over and flips on the light, reaching for his son.
“Serenity left, Dad.” Nathan replies.
“What do you mean, she left? How do you know?” he demands quietly sitting up and swinging his legs over the bed.
“I heard something and Baron didn’t bark so I thought it was you. I watched her, Dad. She left and she was scared. Where is she going, Dad? Is she mad at us, is that why she left?” Nathan asks.
Michael quickly pulls on a pair of jeans, and sweatshirt, then socks. “No, Nathan. She is not mad at us, she thinks she is protecting us by leaving. What time is it? How long ago did she leave?”
“It’s a little after seven. She’s been gone about twenty minutes. But don’t worry, we can track her easily.” Nathan says smiling a secret smile.
Michael goes still and looks at his son, “Why would you think that, son?”
“Because I dropped your cell phone into her coat pocket. We should be able to track her through the GPS locator,” he replies smugly.
“I am going to call you Nate the Great from now on! Give me some skin!” Michael says lifting his hand in the air for a high five.
“Dad, seriously? No one says that anymore,” he says with a laugh and smacks his dad’s hand.
“Gee, thanks. I will call your grandmother. I want you to promise me, you will stay at home. You are safest here, Nathan. Serenity shielded the house, and I can’t be in two places at once. Promise me.” He says as he looks into his sons eyes.
“I promise, now go.” He says pushing his dad towards the door.
Serenity doesn’t look back at the house when she leaves. She is afraid she will not find the courage to go if she does. Dark eyes watch as she leaves the protection of the house. Serenity feels the evil watching her and she is afraid. She may be a Winter Queen or guardian, but she is also human. With her coat pulled tight against the cold, she carefully unfolds the map and glances at it. This is no ordinary map, it is enchanted. Only one sentence is on the paper, it gives her the guidance she needs to get started. “I’m supposed to walk into the woods and meet a white horse? Like that is really going…”she stops talking when she hears the soft whinny of the animal behind her.
“Well, hello,” she says softly moving closer to the beautiful beast. This is no ordinary horse, he is an enormous, snow white stallion. He wears a white leather saddle with silver snowflakes carved into it. She reaches a hand out and he moves closer, putting his nose under her outstretched hand. “So beautiful, I hope you are patient. I have never ridden a horse before.” He looks at her with deep brown eyes and nudges her softly. “Okay then,” she sighs and walks cautiously to his side to mount. He kneels down to allow her easier access. “Thank you.” The moment she is seated in the saddle he rises up with her and begins to trot away.
Serenity glances at her map again and it reads, “Hold on tight!” The horse begins to trot faster. She folds the map and tucks it into her coat pocket and holds on for dear life as he breaks into a run. The h
orse begins to run and his feet lift off the ground and Serenity screams! The light around her begins to change as she moves through the air. The lights flash every color of blue, green and white. The cold air begins to warm. She closes her eyes against the brightness of the light in front of her. Heat now replaces the cold and humidity. Serenity begins to sweat and squints, opening her eyes enough to watch the horse land. His feet sink into the shifting sand and he comes to a stop. Around her as far as the eye can see are sand dunes.
“Okay, then. I was expecting mountains and snow, not a desert!” she says dropping to the ground. She pulls off her heavy coat and shields her eyes spinning around. The horse turns and runs away leaping into the air, he is gone in a flash. “Wait! What am I supposed to do here?” she yells out.
“This is just great.” Serenity glances around and looks for a high spot. “Maybe I will be able to see something from the top of a dune.” Moving as quickly as she can with cowboy boots and jeans on she begins to walk. The sun crawls higher in the sky and her body soon becomes saturated in sweat. Once again she curses her fair complexion as her skin begins to burn. Trying to block the sun she holds her heavy coat over her head to create some shade. Her legs burn as she pushes up the dune, eventually she is forced to drop the coat to crawl on her hands and knees to the top. She looks down and sees more dunes!
“No!” she moans. “Where am I?” she worries.
“Surely, this is not the Winter Queen?” A female voice says from behind her.
Serenity spins stunned to see an older woman seated on a black horse glaring at her. She wears a large hat to shield her wrinkled skin from the sun. In her hand she holds a carved staff.
“Who are you?” Serenity demands.
“I am Ayva and you have become a problem, Serenity. I am sure you understand we can’t have two Queen’s. I am the one, true, Queen. I will rid this world of the Saints, and never again will I have to fight for what is rightly mine!” She sneers.
Serenity scrambles to her feet and tries to reach for her power only to have Ayva laugh at her. “Pathetic! You don’t get it do you. Your power only works when one of the family members is in danger. You are isolated and alone here,” she says gesturing to the desert.
Afraid for her life, Serenity rushes at the black horse causing him to startle and rear up. Ayva is thrown into the sand. Serenity attempts to grab the horse’s reigns as he rushes past her, but Ayva attacks with a powerful blow from her staff. Serenity is thrown six feet away and the resulting concussion creates a sandstorm that makes it impossible for Ayva to see through.
Serenity struggles to catch her breath in the dry heat and sand. She rolls to her side and a tear rolls free. Ayva will kill her if she doesn’t find a way to fight back. Her power is strongest when the family is threatened. “They will not even remember your name when I am through with you, Serenity!” she taunts swinging her staff up over her head and down towards Serenity.
Serenity can’t block the blow, she can only attempt to stay away from her. She scrambles on her hands and knees away from the crazy witch. Ayva laughs, “Yes run away! They all try to run!” Serenity jumps to her feet and turns to face her, only to be struck again.
“Michael,” she whispers as she flies through the air yet again. This time she rolls down the dune coming to a rest at the bottom. She sits up spitting sand, and coughing from the pain.
“Renity!” Sincere screams and runs from his room looking for his Dad.
“It’s okay, buddy. I am going to help her.” Michael says scooping him up in his arms. Nick and Noel arrive, and find him trying to console him. “Daddy, she’s getting kilt again! You have to help her!”
“Show me,” Michael says and Sincere nods and takes his face in his hands. He closes his eyes and Michael hears her whisper his name, then watches as Ayva attacks her. His eyes fly open with horror.
“Mom, I have to go! Keep the boys here!” with those words he disappears.
Michael moves through space, seeking Serenity. Saints are gifted with the ability to maneuver through dimensions. He seeks Serenity’s essence which glows purple. Her light is goodness, love, and laughter. Michael’s light is bright white, and fury fills his soul. She will pay for killing his wife, and the Doctor! He lands in the sand like an avenging angel.
Ayva smiles when he lands and creates a sand storm that he can’t escape from. He will not be able to see, and the advantage will be hers. “Michael, you will be my pet when all of this is through.” She laughs and it echoes across the sand. Serenity is on her knees when Michael lands in front of her. At first she thinks he is a mirage, come to torment her, but Ayva’s mocking laughter convinces her that he is real.
A small smile curves Serenity’s lips. She sinks both hands into the sand at her side. Time to protect her Saint. Michael blows and the sand storm Ayva has generated, disappears. Perfect, Serenity thinks. She closes her eyes and concentrates on the sand beneath Ayva’s feet. In her mind she sees a whirlpool and the sand begins to respond, it swirls and tendrils of power pull Ayva from her feet.
Ayva’s scream of terror causes Serenity to concentrate harder. The center of the whirlpool opens and a hole appears, sucking the sand, and pulling the witch towards oblivion. Ayva looks at Serenity as she is being drug backwards and strikes at her again with her staff. With a flash, Serenity is thrown into the air and Michael is forced to catch her. The two bodies roll backwards across the sand and the vortex slows, finally stopping. Serenity is held protectively in Michael’s arms.
Ayva extracts herself from the sand knowing she is outmatched. “We will meet again, Michael.” She says with an evil smile at the handsome man.
“Count on it, Witch!” Michael snarls at her and watches her disappear.
Chapter 12
He looks down at Serenity and holds her close. They disappear but this time he does not return home with her. “Michael,” she starts to say but he squeezes her in his arms and she takes the hint.
“Uh-oh,” she thinks. “He is really mad, well he can get over it! I was just doing my job as a guardian.” Held in his muscular arms, Serenity smiles, and coughs covering her mouth with her hand. Her lungs are full of sand, her skin is burned, and her body is throbbing. He can yell at her later. Her hand drifts up and sinks into the back of his long hair.
They arrive in front of a small log cabin, high on a mountain near the northern lights. This cabin belongs to Michael’s family. It is nothing like the large house he lives in. It is a simple four room cabin. Kitchen, living room, bathroom and one bedroom. Completely made out of logs, the house is an authentic log cabin built for seclusion. The kitchen is open to the living room with a small bar. The living room has a large stone fireplace, and sofa with one chair. Michael stomps up onto the porch, never releasing Serenity. She does not feel the cold, only the aching of her abused body.
His body is trembling with fury and relief. “What were you thinking, Serenity? You could have been killed!” He snaps as he marches through the house to a small door.
“Michael, you can put me down now. I can walk.” She says softly. Michael ignores her and kicks the door open. Heat rolls up the stairs and he descends into the darkness below. When the door closes behind him, Serenity’s heart begins to pound. “Michael! Where are we?”
“You are safe here, Serenity. Don’t you trust me?” He asks as he continues down the stairs. Her arms clutch him tighter and he whispers something in a language she does not understand. A spark causes the room to erupt with light. The light flows down a long, stone tunnel and Michael quickly follows it. After a few minutes of walking he slows and enters a small stone cavern. The spark ripples around the room and her eyes begin to adjust. She hears the dripping of water and sees a hot spring! The water bubbles and the sound echoes through the room.
“Where are we, Michael?” She whispers and finally he lowers her to her feet.
“We are nowhere, and everywhere, Serenity. Ayva can’t find us here, we are safe. This pool has healing properties. It w
ill help with your aches and pains. Then we will talk.” He snaps and stomps away to sit on a boulder.
“My aches and pains are none of your concern, Michael. You have no right to be angry with me for doing my job!” she bends over to pull off her boots and dumps the sand out before tossing them on the ground.
“No right!” he asks turning slowly. “How daft are you woman?” he roars at her. “I watched her beating you, and prayed I would arrive in time to save you, Serenity!” He grabs her by her arms and jerks her towards his body.
“I am a guardian, Michael, at least that’s what you all keep telling me. It is my job to protect you. I am sorry I scared you but …” His mouth descends on her and stops her useless words. Serenity ignores the pain in her body, and feels Michael. He pours through her body erasing any thoughts of who she is because in that moment she is only his. He fills her with his passion, gentleness and love. When he pulls his mouth from hers and looks into her stunned blue eyes, he sees the shock he feels, reflected in her face.
“Serenity, I am in agony without you, won’t you give me peace?” he pleads.
“I thought you’d never ask, Michael,” she replies slipping her hands under his shirt, feeling the heat of his skin. Michael sighs and steps back from her and slowly pulls his sweater off, revealing a sculpted chest and abdomen. Serenity’s heart begins to pound in excitement. Smiling she starts to unbutton her shirt but he closes the distance between them and stills her hand with his. With agonizing slowness he unbuttons her shirt, trailing his finger over the rise of her breasts. His brown eyes flare with desire, as he struggles to maintain control.
Gripping his shoulders, “Michael, you’re teasing me,” she accuses.
Amusement flickers across his face, “Slowly, Serenity. I want to savor you.” He trails his fingers across the sensitive skin he reveals, sending currents of desire through her. He lowers his mouth to hers slowly brushing her lips with his own. Serenity moves closer skimming her hand down his chest, scratching his skin lightly. Michael gives a needy groan when she drags her fingernails lightly across his belly just above his belt. The heat of her mouth against his sensitive skin causes his hands to tighten on her arms. She breathes in the scent of his body, tastes the salt on his skin and nibbles her way across the chiseled edges and hollows of muscle and bone, burning it all into her memory.
