Stolen Soul

Maddison and Marcus moved deeper into the caves and at first they thought that their journey had been a wasted one for each alcove and cut-in was empty.

“So much for the rumours about this place driving people mad”, Maddison commented and Marcus frowned as a low babble of voices sounded from somewhere behind them.

“You were saying”, he said and Maddison looked at him curiously.

“What?”, she asked, watching as he turned and narrowed his eyes.

“Marcus?”, she prompted and he turned to look at her.

“You don’t hear that?”, he asked and Maddison shook her head.

“I cant hear anything…oh no…”, she replied and Marcus raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oh no? What does that mean?”, he asked and she grabbed his hand.

“We need to move quickly”, she said as she remembered the spirits’ warnings about her ancestors’ defence charm and Marcus nodded as the voices around him began to get louder.

They moved a little deeper into the caves and were presented with a wall of solid rock.

“We’ll have to go back the way we just came”, Marcus said, raising a hand to his head as though he was finding it difficult to concentrate.

“No…this is it”, Maddison replied instinctively knowing that they had reached their goal.

Reaching out she touched the rock and closed her eyes.

“Reveal to me thy secrets”, she mumbled and to Marcus’ surprise, a doorway appeared before them in the rock.

“My clever little witch”, he murmured and Maddison grinned at him, but her smile soon vanished as he suddenly bent double and grabbed his head in his hands.

“Be quiet”, he muttered, shaking his head as he shut his eyes and shook his head again against the terrible babble of voices in his mind.

“Marcus?”, she said, following him down as he dropped to his knees.

“Why cant you hear them?”, he asked and Maddison touched his face.

“It‘s a defence charm for your benefit only…just try to stay focused”, she said and he nodded but the voices were growing louder by the second and his head felt as thought it were going to burst.

“Hurry…”, he said and Maddison nodded, kissed him quickly and stood. She pushed open the door and walked inside the secret room.

OoOoOoO

“I cant seem to get this shield down”, Marianne said after trying umpteen spells on the caves’ entrance.

“I cant believe that we’re actually here…helping a vampire”, Alexandria said and Marianne sighed.

“The fates called upon Maddison to set right a wrong that was done by our kind…as much as it pains me to be here I have to admit that what happened to Marcus was not his fault and he deserves a second chance at life”.

Alexandria huffed and folded her arms.

Suddenly Michael bristled at her side and then she too was aware of the presence of another vampire close by.

“Stay close to me Marianne”, Alexandria advised and Marianne looked up from her spell book just in time to see a female vampire fly at Michael from the shadows…

OoOoOoO

Maddison looked around the secret room in awe. She felt like a child in a sweet shop with an unlimited amount of money to spend.

The walls were lined with books and potions that she would just love to spend hours examining more closely but she knew that time was not on Marcus’ side and so she moved toward a cage that was covered by what looked like an old blanket.

Snatching the material away she gasped as what looked like thousands of glowing orbs bobbed against the sides of the gilded cage that they were trapped inside of.

She could almost hear the cries of the people whose souls these were and an intense sadness filled her heart.

She tried to open the cages’ door but the lock was so old that there was no chance that it would budge and so she used a spell to get it open and once it was the orbs inside floated free.

Maddison frowned as she looked at them.

She had no idea which one belonged to Marcus.

oooo

Outside the doorway to the room, Marcus wanted to smash his head against the cave walls as the chattering and babbling in his mind was so intensely annoying that it was literally driving him insane.

He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else…anything.

“Maddie…”, he whispered, trying to conjure up her image but instead all he could see was an image of the vampire witch that had turned him and he cried out as the night that she had taken his soul re-played in his mind.

Terrifying visions ran before his eyes, visions of the soldiers that he had fought with so many centuries ago losing their lives to the witch as she tore out their throats and gorged herself on their blood before sinking her fangs into their necks.

“Noooo!”, he cried.

oooo

Marianne watched as both Michael and Alexandria fought with the female vampire but because they had just passed the full moon cycle they were no match for her in strength and she soon had Alexandria unconscious on the ground.

The sight of his injured mate seemed to give Michael’s energy a boost and he flew at Claudette, ramming her back up against an old wrought-iron railing and a bent spike went straight through Claudette’s stomach.

Michael grinned at her as she hissed and screeched at him but his smile soon faded as she managed to lever herself off of the spike and she glared at him as she stood upright.

“You thought that would stop me?”, she asked, her tone implying that he was nothing short of stupid and Michael snarled at her.

As they flew at one another again, Marianne moved cautiously away. She would deal with the vampire if she had to but for now she needed Michael to buy her and Maddison more time.

oooo

Maddison breathed a sigh of relief as she found the book that the spirit had told her about, the Book of Shadows and Light and she lifted it from the shelf and blew the thick layer of dust from its leather bound cover.

She opened it and as she ran her hand over the first page she felt the immense power that the book contained and she swallowed her apprehension and began to search for the spell that would release Marcus’ soul from it’s orb.

As she searched, one particular orb bobbed close to her and she got the feeling that it was ‘the one’.

“I’m going as fast as I can”, she told it and the orb glowed a little brighter.

She flicked the pages quickly and found what she was looking for. She read the lines and dismay began to fill her heart as she saw that a fresh soul was needed to enable Marcus‘ soul to re-merge with his body, like a sacrifice.

‘What the hell do I do now?’, she thought, looking around frantically and then she saw the spirit watching her from a corner of the room.

“Use a piece of your own soul Maddison”, it said and Maddison frowned, knowing that to perform such a dark spell could be dangerous.

But what alternative did she have?

“But it says a soul…not just a piece of one. Will that work?”, she asked and the spirit glided closer.

“You must try”.

She heard Marcus let out a cry of pain outside and she gulped and nodded.

She instinctively turned to the back of the great book and found the charm she needed.

As she spoke the words that would break a piece of her own soul away she felt breathless and an intense burning sensation tore through her and she dropped to her knees, the book falling to the floor before her.

As she gasped for air, a smaller white orb appeared before her. It hovered and waited and Maddison realised that it must be the piece of her soul.

Maddison reached out and found the soul restoring spell in the book once more and began to chant the words.

“Soul full of love, soul full of light, join with the lost soul and make his life right”.

The small orb suddenly began to spin at an alarming rate and Maddison watched as it shot up into the air and melded with the orb that had been hovering near her.

The light that emerged from the blended orbs was blinding and Maddison had to shield her eyes as the ball of light sped across the room and through the doorway.

ooo

Marcus writhed on the ground in agony as the witches’ fangs tore at his neck.

‘We’ve failed’, he thought miserable as a bright white light seemed to surround him and, as a pain like nothing he had ever felt before ripped through his body, his last conscious thought was that he would never see Maddison’s beautiful face again.

ooo

Marianne finally managed to get the shield to the caves’ entrance down but she was stuck in her hiding place and she watched in frustration as the vampire managed to knock Michael out, thankfully not killing him and then walked toward the cave, glancing around her as she went.

Marianne knew that if the vampire had had more time then Michael and Alexandria would not have been so lucky.

If you could call lying unconscious and bleeding from several large wounds lucky that was.

Silently promising to perform a healing spell the second that she knew that Maddison was safe, Marianne quickly cast a warding spell that would protect Michael and Alexandria’s unconscious bodies from any predators and then headed for the caves’ entrance herself.

oooo

Maddison heard Marcus scream out in agony and she forced herself to her feet. She felt exhausted and fleetingly wondered if giving away part of her soul would cause her any lasting damage. Still, that meant nothing if it meant Marcus had his life back.

She made it to the doorway before falling to her hands and knees again and she had to crawl the last couple of feet to Marcus’ un-moving body.

“Marcus?”, she whispered against his mouth as she leaned in close against him, tears filling her eyes as he remained still.

She had no idea if the spell had worked or not and she pressed her lips to his and she tasted her own tears, her hands feeling for his heart to see if she could feel it beating.

Suddenly he gasped and gulped in a huge lungful of air as he sat up, taking Maddison with him and she gripped his shoulders as he looked about as though he had no idea where he was.

The babbling and chattering filled his mind again and he shook his head.

“No….no…”, he muttered and Maddison caught his face in her hands.

“Marcus look at me”, she demanded and his eyes locked with hers.

“Don’t listen to the other voices…just listen to me”, she said, her heart filling with an indescribable joy as even in dim lights from the dancing orbs all around them, she could see that Marcus’ skin had lost it’s pale pallor and had a more healthy glow to it…a human type glow.

“I love you…don’t let her win now…you belong with me”, she told him and Marcus blinked at her as his eyes caressed her face and he raised a hand and touched her cheek.

“Maddie…”, he whispered and she nodded and threw her arms around his neck.

“I feel…alive”, he said and Maddison laughed.

“You are alive”, she said.

Marcus realised that the voices in his mind were fading away and he instantly began to feel better.

He stood on shaky legs and went to pull Maddison with him but her legs wouldn’t hold her and she sagged against him weakly.

“Maddison!”, Marcus said, alarm filling him as he held her against him.

He lifted her into his arms and moved her back into the secret room and saw the huge book on the floor and he saw the spirit in the corner.

He narrowed his eyes and said,

“What did she do to make me human again?”.

The spirit glided close and replied,

“She gave a part of her soul to you”.

“How do I fix this?”, he asked and the spirit regarded him and he realised that she looked vaguely familiar.

“You already know the answer Field Marshal Baker”, the spirit said and Marcus gently put Maddison down by the book and then it dawned on him just who the spirit was.

“You?!”, he said incredulously as he looked into the ghostly eyes of the witch who had taken his soul.

He wanted to ask so many questions, wanted to grab the spirit and inflict some of the pain and misery that he had felt over the centuries upon her but just as he was about to move, Claudette appeared in the doorway.

“I smell a reborn human and I’m very, very hungry”, she said and Marcus turned to face her just as she attacked him.

If Marcus had been in any doubt as to whether he had his soul back it was at that moment that it became startling clear just how human he now was.

He had no strength to fight off Claudette and he struggled furiously as her fangs scraped the skin of his neck.

“If I turn you again now there will be no second chance for you. You will remain un-dead forever this time and you will be mine for all of eternity”, Claudette said and Marcus realised just how ironic it was that he now feared that what he had put so may other humans through.

Granted he had never turned anyone but he had fed…too many times to count.

Just when he thought there was no way out, Claudette suddenly stiffened and drew her head back and she staggered back from him, a stake lodged straight through her chest from back to front.

Marcus’ eyes widened as he saw Marianne stood to one side of them. He moved to stand before Maddison’s prone form as Claudette let out a high pitched laugh.

“Does no-one know where the heart actually is?”, she asked sarcastically, then she grunted as she pulled the stake out and threw it to the ground.

She turned and grinned at Marianne who began to recite a spell that was supposed to freeze vampires but apparently it didn’t and Marianne let out a cry of shock as Claudette flew at her.

Suddenly though a figure in black moved faster than the eye could see and before any of them knew how it happened they saw Claudette’s headless body lying on the floor before them.

Marianne’s hand flew to her mouth in shock and she looked to see who her saviour was.

The man in black regarded Marcus and smiled wistfully.

“I envy you”, he said simply and Marcus nodded.

“It’s been a long time Vincent”, he replied and Marianne gasped again, forcing Vincent Moreau to turn and look at her.

“Hello Marianne”, he said and Marianne swallowed as she finally came face to face with her charge.

“You saved me”, she stated and he laughed.

“Well, I couldn’t very well let my watcher be killed now could I…who would keep their eye on me when I’m back in London?”.

Just then Maddison began to stir and Marianne glanced at her daughter, the moment lost and when she looked back, Vincent had gone.

Marcus knelt by Maddison’s side and lifted her against him.

“Maddie…tell me what to do…I love you so much…please don’t leave me”, he whispered against her temple.

A bright light began to gather on the open page of the book beside them and Marianne stepped back as it suddenly moved forward and slammed into Marcus, then passed through Maddison.

When the lighting in the room returned to normal, Maddison opened her eyes and smiled at Marcus.

“Took you long enough to say it”, she muttered and Marcus laughed as relief flooded through him and he crushed her against him.

“I love you”, he murmured over and over.

Marianne smiled at them, still unable to believe that she had met the vampire she had been watching for decades. She shook her head and wondered what the sect would say if they knew.

‘Oh to hell with the sect!’, she thought. What a couple of days this had been.

Suddenly she remembered Michael and Alexandria.

“We need to get outside”, she said urgently and Marcus and Maddison stood.

Maddison scooped up the Book of Shadows and Light and they were about to make their way back to the caves’ exit when the spirit of the witch appeared before them.

“I am sorry for what I did to you and I know you cannot forgive me but I hope that my bringing Maddison into your life somehow makes the long years of your previous life seem a little less painful to you now”, she said and Marcus stared at her for the longest time before he nodded and she then turned to Maddison.

“I know you will use the great book wisely”, she said before she disappeared, her goal on this plane of existence finally complete.

As they neared the exit they saw that the first rays of the dawns’ sun were making their way into the caves’ mouth and Marcus’ steps faltered.

Maddison took his hand.

“You have nothing to fear now”, she told him and Marcus nodded and taking a deep breath, he stepped into the sunlight with Maddison and her mother and into his new life.

OOoOoO

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the town house and Maddison rolled over in the four poster bed and stretched happily.

She sat up as Marcus entered the room carrying their one month old son and she smiled as he sat on the bed at her hip and handed her the baby.

“You’re awake…finally”, he scolded and Maddison stuck her tongue out at her husband.

“Well if you hadn’t spent hundreds of years being a creature of the night then maybe I might not feel so obligated to be the one who gets up to give this little one all his night feeds”, she retorted and Marcus laughed.

“I’ll take my turn tonight I promise”, he said and Maddison smiled.

She didn’t mind that Marcus slept straight through the night really, after all it was something that he hadn’t been able to do for the longest time.

“Your mum rang, she, Michael and Alexandria are coming over this evening to see the baby and I hope you don’t mind but I invited someone along to join us”, Marcus said and Maddison looked at him, her lips twitching as she saw the wicked glint in his gorgeous blue eyes.

“You didn’t…oh Marcus, mum will have a fit”, she chided and Marcus stood.

“She’ll love it…and Vincent cant wait!”.

*****

Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed it