Early Spring - M-1893, Part 6 Return to Cronus (I)

Guardian's Key

Part 6
Return to Cronus

I

After getting Telaan out of the temple, they’d taken refuge for the non-evening-time in one of Lessa’s family homes, which they'd left only moments before to once more teleport to Cronus. Kerrin was still trying to shake off the disorientation he felt every time he traveled this way.

“This is where we’ll find Frea,” Telaan said as they stood in front of a brick one-story building in the better part of town. He looked refreshed now that he’d had rest, food and a chance to clean up. They'd discussed why they’d been looking for him during the meal they'd eaten before continuing.

“Will she know where the casque is?” Lessa asked.

“No, but she'll most likely know where to find Eris.”

Telaan pushed the door open. The inside of the bar was dark and too loud for Kerrin’s senses and he had to fight the urge to wince. It was also the most civilized place he’d seen in Cronus, yet he suspected it was one of the more evil ones since it housed a servant of Eris. The Shadow magique was very strong here.

Telaan stopped the first server he saw walking by, “Where can we find Frea?”

Her eyes grew wide with surprised recognition. “In her office in the back, my lord,” she answered before quickly moving away.

“My lord?” Kerrin asked as they walked through the crowded room.

“Yes, unfortunately, many here know me as the son of Eris; therefore I’m Lord to her bloody ass followers. Believe me, I’d destroy every damn one of them if I thought it’d accomplish anything useful besides my own pleasure.”

“But as the Shadow Spirits go, they’d only be grateful if you did,” Xavier said.

“Yes, I’d probably be hailed a damn hero and wind up king of the fucking Shadow Spirits.” He knocked on the door they’d come to at the back of the main room.

“Come.” The voice sounded young, but Kerrin knew very well that voices were deceiving.

Telaan opened the door and before they could enter the voice continued, “No, only you Telaan, son of Eris. I will not speak with the vampire or the children of Sundara. They sully and darken my doors, but I tolerate them because you have brought them, my lord.”

Closing the door, Telaan turned to them, a sardonic smile lighting up his otherwise solemn face. “Go to sit down. I’ll join you when I'm finished here. They won’t bother you, but don’t expect to be waited on either.”

They turned away as Telaan entered the room and closed the door.

“Find us a table and we’ll go get the drinks,” Xavier said as he and Nanda headed toward the bar.

Adrostos didn’t follow but said, “Please, continue, I will meet up with all soon.” He bowed and turned toward a group of Chandra Elves sitting near to where they were standing.

Kerrin nodded and led Lessa to a booth in the corner that looked like it’d been recently abandoned. The the glass partition between booths gave them at least a sense of privacy, even if everyone in the place was glaring at them. Not openly, they’d seen who they came in with, but they weren’t happy with them there, and made that plain. They didn’t like the Chandra Elves that Adrostos had joined either, since one of their group also had to go to the bar to get their drinks. Apparently Frea disliked the Sundara and vampires alike, but she wasn’t fool enough in this city to discourage any gold that came her way.

“Kerrin, were we happy together?” Lessa asked as they sat.

“Lessa,” he sighed, rubbing his forehead. Fuck this was not a conversation he wanted to have here, of all places. He was sure that even the walls had ears, and evil surrounded them like a mist.

“I know, I’m not supposed to ask because of some mysterious reason that no one has actually explained to me,” her voice was soft, full of pain and uncertainty.

He looked at her. What was she thinking? The pain and hurt filling her eyes tugged at him but it was the underlying fear he felt he couldn’t understand. What could she possibly fear? He understood anger and pain, but not fear.

He couldn’t bear to see her filled with doubts, so he decided to tell her the truth as it was told to him. “Chryses is concerned that if anyone, including me, forces you to remember, your mind might rebel against the spell and you could fall into a coma. It’s not always true, but it has happened in the past. As I’ve said, you have to remember on your own, or we just have to move on.”

She was quiet for a long time. Was she thinking over what he said, or searching for the truth on her own? Finally when she spoke, he had to lean forward to hear. “You killed because you were in love with me. Was I in love with you?”

“I thought so, yes.”

She nodded. “Yes that’s what I believe, too, since I turned my back on countless Times of Change of tradition. But now I have to wonder. Did I really love you, or were you merely an excuse to escape from a situation I couldn’t get away from on my own?”

Pain filled him, his voice caught in his throat and he had to force the words out, “Why would you think that?” He already knew the answer; he didn’t want to hear it from her. Hearing the words coming from her sweet mouth would make his fear real.

Her eyes became wet with unshed tears, “Because despite the fact that I’m very fond of you and care for you deeply, I don’t love you.”

He fought for words to reassure her. He fought to remain in his seat when all he wanted to do was flee. He knew this was coming, had felt it since they’d first arrived in Cronus; her uncertainty had been so strong even then. He had no magique, at least not what was normally called magique. But he was a vampire, his intuition was such that sometimes he felt he could almost read minds, and he always understood emotions. Especially emotions that showed any weakness at all. It was a necessary ability in the days when vampire survival had relied on drinking blood from humans.

He was drowning in the emotions he was feeling from her along side his own pain that was engulfing him. He had to get away, he needed air, but he couldn’t just walk away from her. That would hurt her in a way he couldn’t bear to think of. He loved her as much today as he had when he found her bleeding and dying from Lornus’ blade. He’d never do anything to hurt her; he’d spend the rest of his life protecting her.

He struggled for breath, he struggled to think of something, anything he could say. Somehow that’s okay seemed too damn patronizing.

He opened his mouth to say something. What? He hadn’t that figured out yet. Before any sound could come out, Xavier approached and asked Lessa a question. Kerrin didn’t hear either of them, this was his chance; he had to get some air to clear his head and release the pain. He headed for the door, hoping no one would stop him before he reached it.

The evening-time was cool and clear, but there was a hint of the Summer Season which would arrive before anyone realized it. He began to walk. It was still early, he’d be sure to return soon in case Telaan got his information and was ready to leave. He wouldn’t abandon them, least of all Lessa.

That she didn’t love him didn’t surprise him, he’d known for many turnings. At least she didn’t hate him, but it was the fear he didn’t understand. Was she afraid of him? Did the thought that he would kill Lornus make her afraid of him? Was she afraid he was violent and could kill her? He was a vampire, a race that was known for being violent killers, but he hadn’t been born a vampire, just made one. It’d been many Times of Change since he’d drank blood from anything other than a bottle out of his refrigerator, except when he’d had no other choice recently.

A sound that was almost animal escaped him before he could stop it. He’d never hurt her, but she didn’t know that. She didn’t really know him, any memory she had of his love had been removed by her father for reasons even he didn’t understand.

Kerrin tried to take a step and realized he couldn’t move. He was completely frozen in place, only his eyes seem to function as two men stepped in front of him.

“Well, what have we here?” The guy to his left said.

“Could this be the infamous Kerrin Draonight?” They were both shorter than Kerrin, but the guy to the right was positively scrawny. If it hadn't been for magique and surprise, they never would have captured him.

“I’d heard his looks had changed, but my, isn’t he a fancy vampire these days?”

“Mr. Garnaych is going to reward us very well indeed.”

Kerrin fought against the spell, but was powerless. Silanos had finally found him. Had Loki made it back to his father after all? No, Adrostos had said it would take him many turnings to return and Kerrin believed that to be true. So, all he could blame this lousy evening-time on was the ill winds of kader blowing his way.

His last thought before something connected hard against the back of his head and the pain shattered into blackness was that he wasn’t going to make it back to Lessa after all.

Part 5 - Temple of Aodh II

Part 6 Return to Cronus II