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circle.
Every word Elisha uttered thudded against his flesh, and the beast fought its way to emerge and
to survive. The internal battle screamed fiercely. All-consuming hunger smashing down everlasting
loyalty and love.
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Vincente could not bear to sacrifice the only one precious to him, the one for whom he bore the
quest in retribution. Was he ultimately to become the villainous murderer himself? The need enslaved
his rebellion and propelled him forward to reclaim the power.
Life spilled quickly from his veins and the killing window closed rapidly. If he did not swallow
Elisha s life-force soon, all would be lost. The beast must kill to survive.
Rising souls of those he d condemned wailed for justice from the netherworld, tugging him
backward toward the black pit. Vincente warded them off with the last of his strength, fighting his way
forward to Elisha, towards the quench of his hunger, towards life and immortality.
The circle is open, yet it ever remains a circle. By the powers of the Ancients, I bind all power
within this circle. Into this spell, so mote it be. Noscre reveal to me that which I seek. Right this
passage of time.
The walls of sapphire penetrated the age-old lovers, completely blurring the lines between the
world and the netherworld. Elisha reached out beckoning him to fall upon her open embrace.
Vincente collapsed into her inviting arms, grabbed her by the nape of the neck, and set his lips
upon hers with the last will he had. Delicious honey, the taste of her lips, a sweet pleasure he had been
too long denied. There lay no cold tastes of death within the delicate flesh.
Elisha was warm and alive to his touch. Love was found there, reigning unbroken by time. The
circle of stoic fate corroded by the blood letting of ages could not pronounce his intentions to fruition.
Vincente lived nearly twelve life-times to avenge the life of his betrothed. The time had come to
lay down his life in honor of her glory. There would be no feeding, no quench for the madness of the
screaming brute shredding his entrails. His purpose rang with clarity; the moment of truth was upon
them.
Unable to bring himself to will the life force from her, blood spilled from the walls of his heart
pounding in one last defiant beat. The fire burned through his gaping wounds, sealing his fate.
Eight centuries of endless grief closed in an instant. The warrior finally came to rest in the arms
of his beloved.
As the sun rose over the Donegal hills, the dusty shell of the great stag s frame and the images of
the past scattered to the four winds.
Depart in peace O Powers of air. To all beings and powers of the visible and invisible, depart
in peace. May there be harmony between us. Release this child and invoke the whole of being to return
to the silence of the earth.
Elisha s spirit rose to join her love in the circle of blue flames. The air in the park swirled the
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mists of the highlands to disappear into dust.
*****
The world filtered back in bursts, balls of light busting behind her eyes. Alex s head throbbed
with the surge of blood pumping, every gush registering through the network of veins to bounce off the
neurons.
A hazy fog softened the edges of the room before her. Where was she?
Who was she?
What the hell just happened? The misted visions danced within her like fuzzy shattered
fragments of a dream you tried to hold onto after waking at dawn.
Clawing in fear, she scrambled backward away from the memory of imminent danger. He was
going to kill her! No... no he wasn t.... he was gone. Vanquished to the netherworld by her own hand,
but not her own hand.
Sifting through the clouded snapshots of what transpired, Alex tried to sort the details. None of
this made any sense.
Who was she?
The baby Alex was with child. Vince s child. Vince was gone the blue flames leapt to
convolute her mind.
Was he dead? It was so clouded. What happened? Some type of witchcraft? The voice that
cried out within her soul took possession of her body and performed some kind of ritual. Alex couldn t
recall the words, but a play by play picture cycled through her mind.
What the hell had just happened? The scenes behind her eyes were those of the movies, not of
life.
The wooden floor, so cold beneath her hands... where was she? She should remember but the
mist clung its shrouded cloak erasing time.
Kyle, where was Kyle?
Alex willed herself to stand and blinked her eyes rapidly in attempt to gain focus. The lines of
the room sharpened and she saw Kyle s crumpled form lying outstretched and motionless on the floor a
few feet away.
She ran to him, checked his pulse, and detecting a feint rhythm. Blood, there was so much
blood. His breath was shallow and she feared he was not long from death s door.
She fumbled through his pockets, found the cell phone, quickly dialed emergency assistance,
Anne Leland 136
begging them to come quickly. Alex could hardly bear the thought of suffering yet another loss.
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