Chapter Forty-One

Darius was hopeful till he approached Grandmother’s cottage or rather where Grandmother’s cottage should be. It wasn’t there. The man at the apothecary shop said to find the old woman but now Darius was at his wits’ end. What good was the book if Grandmother couldn’t assist him?

He went back to his cabin remembering he’d seen it in flames not long before Arianna told him she’d always love him like she was saying a final farewell. Had Arianna even been in his life? She’d told him they’d lived many lives together. He hadn’t heeded it. That was when she’d been experiencing those dreams and behaving oddly.

Now he’d give anything to walk in to find her casting spells. He hurried inside, praying it would be so. But the cabin was silent; the healing chamber a barren room. Why did he retain memories, then? He heard an echo of Arianna’s beautiful voice.

“The dimple is still there. I did wonder, for I haven’t seen you smile much recently.”

He envisioned her beaming lovingly as he walked through the door, lying with him before the fire, intimately entwined. He closed his eyes, tears stinging. How could he get her back if she was a memory or someone he only imagined?

In their bedchamber he looked at the bed, remembering the love and passion, the long conversations, holding one another through the cold winter nights.

Would Arianna truly choose to leave him forever? They had fallen upon difficult times, argued often. He’d nearly strayed with Elizabeth who apparently also had never been to the settlement. It was too much to comprehend. Setting the book on the nightstand, he stared out the window and saw an image of Arianna dancing naked, twirling in the moonlight, snowflakes softly falling upon her beautiful hair. If she’d died years ago, never journeyed to the colonies, been at the settlement or in his arms, there’d be no hope of getting her back.

He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. It formed a mist on the windowpane and his heart leapt. There on the glass was the heart she’d drawn with their names in the middle. She had been here! They were memories. Again he became dizzy and he heard a sound and expected to see Arianna, but it was Liza, alive but not yet with child.

“Your supper’s ready,” she meekly said.

What in the bloody hell? Was he caught in some absurd time loop? He looked at the book glowing. Did that have something to do with it? He picked it up and everything spun. Images swirled around him as the pages flipped.

Suddenly he was at a fort, for he saw the palisade. Alcott stood smiling deviously as a noose was placed around Darius’s neck, the stool was kicked out and he dangled, twitching while Arianna wept inconsolably. Then wildly enraged, Arianna made the entire fort and palisade burst into purple flames. Everyone there was turned to ash.

The book’s pages turned furiously. In the next vivid image Darius was badly beaten and tethered. Alcott forced him to watch several soldiers rape Arianna when her hands were tightly bound. Darius was devastated at not being able to prevent it. Alcott finally ran her through with a sword and him soon after.

That image was replaced with Arianna in Wyndham Village tied to a stake and Charles Mendenhall setting her afire. Darius tried to steady himself. It was so real he could smell her hair and flesh burning. His stomach roiled and he turned away.

The image changed to Darius on his horse galloping to save her that day in Wyndham Village only to discover he was too late. She was hanging from the noose, her face blue, her blood-red eyes open with no life in them.

Each time he thought he’d witnessed the worst, the next image was equally disturbing. The settlement was attacked, not by natives, but soldiers garbed in native attire as Samuel said. They massacred women and children, yet he saw Samuel’s bairns and Rachel killed, too, which didn’t correspond with what he’d said. The settlers attacked the native villages killing everyone including Michael, Olathe and Chenoa. There was so much death! Every horrifyingly gruesome detail unfolded before him.

That image was replaced with Arianna lying unclothed upon a bed surrounded by red velvet curtains. Darius was enraged watching Alcott bed her and present her with a red rose upon her pillow afterward. She smiled not with joy but bitter vindictiveness. He instinctively knew it was done in revenge for him being unfaithful with Elizabeth.

He was experiencing the lives they’d lived before, Arianna’s dreams, the images that made her too terrified to sleep. She’d endured it without sharing it, purposely saved him from suffering, but now, he knew.

He must discover a way to bring her back, to save her and everyone her presence here had saved. The book glowed yet again. Christ, he didn’t want to see anything more, but it settled on one page. As he held Arianna’s pendant, he could now read seven words.

What is destined to be, will be!

By God, he was destined to be with Arianna. He was her sovereign guardian, her soul’s match. Liza appeared again, but he knew she was a spirit. She smiled and dropped something into his hand.

“I’ve been keeping this for you,” she said.

Darius stared at Arianna’s beautiful braided hair, tied in a pink ribbon. He nodded appreciatively to Liza.

“Grandmother!” Darius desperately called.

“Don’t fret, Young Wyndham, I’m here.”

Darius turned to see Grandmother, dropped the book and lifted her in his arms.

“You’ll break my bloody bones, Young Wyndham, and if you damage the book, we might not get Tine back.”

Darius set Grandmother down and reached for the book; dizziness overcame him again.

He now stood outside a purple circle of fire in Arianna’s hallowed clearing, the full moon bright in the sky. His clothes were torn and dirty, his body bruised and bloody as when he’d last seen Arianna.

Grandmother was with him and his heart leapt when he spotted Arianna. Her scarlet hair billowing wildly, she stood holding a book. It might be the same book, which would be impossible, but no more impossible than any of this.

Cythrawl, Dagda and Aine were also here.

“We can’t get inside the fire,” Cythrawl said.

“The fire witch’s spell is too powerful,” Dagda added. “We believe she intends to undo her existence.”

Inside the ring of fire was the circle of immense stones, then a ring of candles, and next to Arianna, another circle entirely composed of clocks. The hands were spinning round counter clockwise faster and faster. Arianna was chanting and wavering peculiarly.

“We believe Tine will go back to ensure her mother and Cythrawl never meet,” Grandmother explained.

“But Arianna and the other three witches are needed to defeat evil,” Darius said.

The gods nodded.

“You must be able to do something,” Darius pleaded.

“We’ve tried,” Dagda said.

“She’s weary of seeing you and others hurt, probably believes there’ll be another to replace her, but there’ll only ever be four transcendent witches of time…the elements of air, fire, earth and water,” Aine said.

“You’re saying if I don’t get to Arianna, not only will I never see her again, but the fate of all of mankind might rest upon it?”

“It’s true, Young Wyndham,” Grandmother said. “I’ve tried to get to her, we all have, but even Cythrawl who can usually walk through hellfire can’t.”

“For gods or those with magic to be unable to enter this location, it must be protected with a blood spell, likely your mingled blood,” Cythrawl said.

“Aye, Arianna performed a blood ritual here.”

“Where was your skin sliced?” Aine asked.

“On a scar.”

“Caused by an enemy?” Aine asked and Darius nodded.

“And Tine’s blood?”

“Also on a scar, but one caused by me,” Darius admitted.

“Love and hate, enemy and soul match. She’s a wise and powerful witch,” Aine said.

“Did she include earth, air, water and fire during a full moon?” Grandmother asked.

“The moon was full. Wind, water and earth were included. I didn’t see fire, but she finished the ritual after I left.”

“I’d wager she completed the spell with fire,” Aine said.

“It’s solely up to you, Young Wyndham. Because of the ritual you’ll possibly make it through those circles and because of your love, you might be able to convince her to stay. If you don’t, you’ll lose all memory of her. Take the book.”

As the clocks rang out, Darius instinctively knew if they chimed twelve times, he’d lose her forever. He made it through the purple fire. It flared higher and he could no longer see the others. He stepped through the stones and the candles, though the earth shook and the wind blew fiercely, thunder roared and lightning flashed.

Yet, he couldn’t get through the clocks, the ring of time. He hit at them, tried to smash them, kick them over, but to no avail. He shouted. She didn’t seem aware he was there.

“Arianna,” he called, but she continued to chant. The clocks had struck seven times. Brilliant magic burst from her book. He opened the book he held and shouted.

“What is destined to be, will be. You and I are destined to be together, Arianna. I love you! I want you. Stay with me.”

She turned, finally looked at him, but the wildness in her eyes was frightening.

“No one will experience tragedy being connected to me if I ensure I’m never born…in any life.”

“You’re the hope of many; you’ve saved and will save innumerable lives, Arianna. The people and the children here; so very many more in the future. I love you, my wee witch. You’re my past and my future. I want to live this life with you.”

Both books glowed brightly, pulsing with powerful magic. He reached for her. As the clock chimed midnight he was pulled into the circle; the two books merged and loudly slammed shut. Two different times collided. She’d begun to fade but he slipped the pendant over her head; she no longer flickered.

His heart pounded as she put her arms around his neck and he held her, never wanting to let her go, then kissed her. She smiled though tears streamed down her face.

“The gods won’t permit us to be together,” Arianna whispered.

“I’ll always need you,” Darius said.

“Perhaps one day, my love,” she said kissing him again, “but for now, you need to search for your sister. My location spell finally worked. Amy’s alive. You must find her.”

She placed her hands to his head, ensuring he knew where to search.