Stolen Soul

Maddison awoke to a cool breeze blowing all around her and she briefly tried to remember getting up and opening the window in the night…and then she remembered that she had no window, her mother had blocked it up.

She sat up and looked around, then she gasped as the spirit that had been dogging her since she had first found Marcus appeared at the foot of the bed.

“Do not underestimate how deep your feelings run for Marcus”, the spirit said and Maddison frowned.

“I care about him a great deal…but love…I hardly know him”, she replied and the spirit smiled.

“Think how you would feel if you could never see him again..”.

Maddison suddenly felt an intense sadness flood her senses as the spirit filled her mind with visions of Marcus dying in her arms and her eyes filled with tears.

“I do love him…”, she said sounding almost in shock at the realisation, then her eyes flew to the spirit.

“Please tell me that what you just showed me will not actually happen”.

The spirit glided closer and said,

“What I have shown you could come to pass if you do not release Marcus’ soul in time. He can only be inside the cave for a short time before he will be destroyed”.

“By what?”, Maddison asked.

“The witch that took his soul never intended for him to have it back Maddison, she will have put a defence charm in place so that if he were ever to enter the cave to retrieve his soul she would drive him mad with her incessant whispering taking over his mind. Only you will be able to break through to him”, the spirit replied.

“Maybe he should wait outside and I could go in and get his soul alone?”, Maddison suggested, sounding worried but the spirit shook its head.

“He must be inside the caves for his soul to blend with him”.

Maddison sighed.

“There is one more thing”, the spirit said and Maddison looked at it expectantly.

“Your ancestor had a powerful spell book, the Book of Shadows and Light…it should have been passed down through your family over the generations only it too was hidden in the caves…none of the witches in your family have been able to realise their full potential because of this, but now you have the chance to retrieve this book…you must, for inside it is the spell that will release Marcus’ soul”.

Maddison looked down at her hands as she realised the enormity of the journey she was about to take.

“You can do this Maddison…do not doubt yourself now…”, the spirit’s voice floated away and when Maddison looked back up it was gone.

Steeling herself, she threw back the covers and got out of bed. She had to get herself and her things together.

OoOoOoOo

Marcus arrived at the airport and upon seeing no sign of Maddison he tried to connect to her mind but frowned when he found it blocked to him.

He looked around, hoping that she had not changed her mind about helping him and was relieved when he finally saw her walking toward him, smiling at him. He saw her mother, Michael and Alexandria not far behind her.

As she came to stand in front of him, her mother and the two werewolves hung back.

“Why have you closed your mind to me?”, he asked, his eyes devouring her face, searching her eyes for some sign that she was going to give him bad news.

“Because I wanted to tell you something before you had a chance to read it in my thoughts”, Maddison replied, reaching up and cupping his face in her small hands.

“What is it?”, he asked, his blue eyes darkening and Maddison smiled as she realised that he looked nervous.

“I love you”, she stated and Marcus blinked at her, not sure that he had heard her correctly.

When he merely continued to stare at her, Maddison started to get nervous.

“Are you going to say something?”, she asked.

“I…I hadn’t dared to hope…”, Marcus began and Maddison smiled at him.

He was about to say something when their flight was announced over the tannoy system and Marianne moved closer to them.

“We should move along”, she prompted and Maddison nodded.

Marcus took her overnight bag from her and carried it with his, his free hand holding hers as they made their way to the check-in desk.

Michael shook his head as he and Alexandria followed behind Marianne.

OoO

Maddison turned from the window once the plane had taken off and turned her head to look at Marcus.

They were sat together with an empty aisle seat next to them and Michael, Alexandria and her mother were sat in front of them.

“Are you alright?”, Marcus asked and she nodded.

She had been a little disappointed that he hadn’t said that he loved her back but she didn’t want to make a big deal of it.

As usual when she didn’t concentrate and block him out, Marcus read her thoughts and he took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

“When my heart beats once more and I can truly say that I actually ‘feel’ the love that I know lies there for you then I will say the words”, he told her and Maddison smiled.

She leant forward and their lips met in a gentle kiss.

When they pulled apart Marcus reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box that appeared to be very old. He handed it to Maddison and she took it, running her fingers gently over the worn velvet covering.

“What’s this?”, she asked.

“Open it”, he replied and she smiled and gently opened the lid.

She gasped as she saw a gold locket and chain, a beautiful pattern engraved around the edge of the oval locket.

“Marcus, it’s lovely”, she said and he reached for the chain and pulled it from the box.

“It was my mother’s but I want you to have it”, he said as he reached and fastened the chain around her neck.

Maddison felt the locket lying against her chest and wished she had a mirror.

“Thank you…I will treasure it”, she told him, marvelling that it was over 350 years old and Marcus smiled.

“As I will treasure you”, he said and Maddison blushed.

She wished that they were alone and that she could show him just how much she loved him.

“Soon”, he whispered against her ear and she closed her eyes as he kissed her neck.

OoOoOoO

They landed in Paris and once they had collected their hire car they set on their way.

“How do you want to do this?”, Marianne asked and Marcus glanced at Michael.

“I must seek a place to rest first so that I know where to go if we run out of time later”, he said and Marianne nodded.

“I will take us to the house where we will be staying so that you know where to find us and then you can go on your way”, she said.

Once they had arrived at Marianne’s watcher friend’s home, Marcus left them and went in search of a safe place to rest. The watcher whose home it was had gone to stay with friends for a few days as she wanted no part in their plan.

Marcus returned a short while later and Maddison opened the door to the cottage and invited him inside.

“That was quick”, she commented and he smiled.

“Vampire power is useful sometimes and besides…I know this area”, he said and she smiled.

“Is this area far from where you were turned?”, she asked and he shook his head.

“This neighbourhood makes up the Marais, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Paris. Many 17th century mansions that once housed the noblest families can still be seen round and about”.

“Have you been back here since you escaped Claudette?”, Maddison asked and Marcus looked away.

“No”.

Maddison moved closer to him and ran her hands across his shoulders before pressing herself against his back, her arms going around his waist.

“Perhaps once this is all over we could take a look around, lay some ghosts to rest for you”, she said and he covered her hands with his.

“Maybe”, he replied.

Just then Marianne, Alexandria and Michael appeared and Maddison moved away from Marcus reluctantly.

“Shall we get going?”, Marianne said, “We do not have many hours left”.

Marcus nodded and they left the cottage.

Ooo

Fate appeared to be on their side and they found the caves fairly quickly. They lay beyond an extremely old grave yard that looked shrouded in mystery.

Maddison and Marcus entered first but when Marianne, Michael and Alexandria tried to they found that an invisible shield had come up and they could not pass through it.

“I don’t like this”, Michael said and Alexandria agreed.

“We’ll be alright”, Maddison said, taking Marcus’ hand and Marianne frowned, wondering if she would find a spell to lower the shield.

“We will wait here but I will try to gain us entry”, she told them, pulling her own spell book from her bag and Maddison nodded.

As she and Marcus ventured deeper into the caves, no-one realised that Claudette was observing them from a safe distance away.