The Banshee's Revenge

Chapter 7



Toby stood outside of Jacqueline's house.

He'd spent most of the evening before getting in touch with the few connections he had in Ireland trying to find out if the stories were true, if people in the O'Grady clan were dying and coming back to life.

It sounded as though for once Gwydion had been telling the truth.

There had been several strange occurrences of people who died and then miraculously came back. Only they weren't quite themselves. Over a period of hours, their mental capacity fled, leaving them as helpless as infants.

Worried, he'd sought out Gabe's help, but he was nowhere to be found. Toby had a sneaking suspicion Gabe was off with Angela somewhere. However, it didn't take that long to perform a memory spell which led Toby to believe more things were taking place than just spells. Things that he felt could only lead to heartache.

And that was something he knew about.

As he looked up at the windows of Jacqueline's home, he wondered if he dared allow himself the hope she might be inside. He'd awoken this morning with the strangest desire to visit the place. Though he'd checked the house several times in the past hoping to find Jacqueline, he'd never found evidence of her before. Yet, this morning, there was a little voice in his head urging him to try again.

Since his chat with Morrigan the evening before, he'd done nothing but think about Jacqueline and the child growing inside her.

What was it?

God, help him for thinking like that, but he couldn't quite see the baby as a cute, cuddly infant. The mix of her genes with his--with a dash of Death thrown in--how could anything good be created in that way?

And how did Jacqueline feel about it? Though it had been months since they'd talked, the vision he'd seen of her last night as she tortured Foster worried at him--not just because of its brutality, but because she had lacked emotion.

He followed the walkway to the front door and using magic, opened it.

To his surprise, the warm scent of lavender drifted to him.

Toby entered quietly and listened to the house. All was silent, except for a faint rustling sound coming from the second floor. With a defensive spell at the ready, he crept up the stairs. The door to her bedroom was open, and he searched his memory, trying to recall if it had always been that way. All the other doors along the hallway were shut tight.

A soft, sighing sound slipped from the open room and he dared to look inside.

Jacqueline sat on the bed, her back to him as Toby entered the room. For a moment, he could only stare, unsure what to do. His heart ordered him to go to her and take her in his arms. However, his head advised him to hold back a moment, to let her know he was there, to think about what he should say.

"I know you're there." She lifted her head, but didn't turn to meet his eye. "I knew you'd find me eventually."

"I looked everywhere. Even here."

"I've gotten good at hiding."

"What's different now?"

"I’m so tired, Toby." She lowered her head. "I can't keep doing this."

"Then don't." Unable to stop himself, he went around to her side of the bed. He managed to hide his shock at her appearance--though the paleness of skin, the blood shot eyes, and the long blonde hair with just a touch of gray in it deeply disturbed him. There was still something beautiful about her, something that attracted him and heated his blood. "Let me help you, Jacqueline."

Wordless, she stared at him.

"I've missed you," she whispered. "I was there last night when you spoke to me. I just didn't have the courage to show myself."

The words relieved him. She still cared. But he fought the urge to touch her. He knew that once he did, it would be even harder to resist taking her in his arms and kissing her. Toby couldn't keep the gruffness from his voice as he battled against his desires.

"I've missed you, too," Toby admitted. "More than I can say."

"I have to tell you something."

"I already know." Toby took a chance and grabbed her hand. Keeping a small distance between them, he sat beside her on the bed. "You're pregnant."

"Yes." Her eyes implored him to understand and tugged at his heart strings. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize to me for."

"Oh, but there is. I think we both know that." Jacqueline closed her eyes tightly. "I've killed a lot of wizards. The ones that hurt you back at Antrim Castle and the ones I know were plotting against me."

"You should never have swallowed Death."

"You asked her to kill me." Jacqueline's voice raised and she looked at him defiantly. "I had to defend myself."

"Jacqueline, that isn't exactly true. Death allowed you to hear only part of the conversation. I didn't think there was any way out of the deal you made with her. I asked that if she had to kill you that it be quick. No suffering," Toby explained, watching the expressions flit across her face, praying that she would understand. "You were too upset to listen to me after Antrim Castle fell, too bent on revenge. I loved you, Jacqueline. Still do."

She looked away, but he thought her eyes grew watery.

"I'm so confused. All this anger inside me--I can't think straight anymore. I thought the urges I had to reap souls were bad before taking Death's essence, but now…her voice is all I hear some days. Most of the time I can turn off these stupid emotions, but now…with this thing inside me, everything is out of whack."

This thing? Toby's heart sank a little. What mother called their child a thing?

"I can help you," Toby said. "I know how to now."

"You do?"

"Yes." He couldn't resist any longer and pulled her into his arms, closing his eyes. "You can get control of your powers and still retain your humanity. It's still inside you."

"That's what my father said, too."

"Your father?" He pulled away slightly to see her better. "I thought he died a long time ago."

"Not my adopted father. My biological one. He came to me, Toby. He wanted me to understand, but I think everything is just more complicated." She massaged her forehead. "Merlin says I was part of some prophecy. That he slept with my mother because it was preordained."

A cold chill went through Toby. Merlin was her father. That meant…Gwydion was her brother.

"Are you sure?" he asked, anxious. "It wasn't another entity playing a trick?"

"No. I believe it to be the truth."

He pulled her close again, hiding the anguish he felt over this revelation.

"Well, he's right about one thing. You can be saved. It won't be easy." Toby breathed in the soft scent of her hair and relished the familiarity of her body against his. "You'll need all your strength, so our first step is getting you to rest."

"Alright, Toby," she whispered, her breath warm against his neck. "Guide me on what to do. I'll do anything you ask."

He hoped that was true. Because when the time came, what he would ask of her would be tough. He thought about the deal he'd made with Morrigan and wondered if he'd made the right decision in light of this new information about Jacqueline's father.

Regardless, it was too late now. There was no going back.

"I want you to wear this." He pulled away and dug into his jean pocket. A moment later, he held up a silver necklace with a small dangling charm. "This is very old, been in my family a long time. My father told me about it once, but he made it sound like a legend. Recently, a friend found it and gave it back to me."

"What is it?" Jacqueline reached out and took the necklace. The light in the room caught the silver metal causing it to shine. "It's really beautiful."

"It's called Morrigan's Kiss." Toby admired the curving lines of the charm that twisted and snaked together to form an uneven heart. "It's special."

The goddess herself had given it to him the evening before, along with a little background on his family history that he'd been unaware of. But that was information that he couldn't reveal yet. Not if he wanted to save Jacqueline.

He couldn't help but wonder if Morrigan knew that Merlin was Jacqueline's father.

If so, that made the deal he'd agreed to riskier than he'd expected. His own books had been very clear on the fact that Morrigan and Merlin had a long, volatile history. At the time, it had never occurred to him that it might matter.

But now…

"What does the charm do?" Jacqueline asked.

"It's supposed to help the wearer see things clearly," Toby explained.

She slipped the silver necklace around her neck and turned so he could work the clasp. His hands brushed against her skin. It would be so easy to romance her into his bed once again, to make love to her with the passion they once shared.

"Thank you." Jacqueline turned and he saw the same undisguised need in her eyes. "For everything."

To hell with it, he decided. They were finally in the same room after months of being apart. Toby didn't want to be restrained any longer.

Reaching forward, he gently kissed her, feeling her lips part slightly. She kissed him back, tentative at first, and then with more urgency. She ran a hand through his hair, and then pushed him down on the bed.

A little taken back but delighted none the less, Toby grinned as she perched on top of him, studying his features as he'd studied hers earlier.

"You haven't been sleeping." She ran a finger down the side of his face. "You have a few worry lines."

"Now if I said that to a woman, I'd be in big trouble." He laughed, feeling some of the weight from the past few months lift. "How can you get away with it?"

"Because those little lines make you more handsome. They give your face character. Worry lines just make women look old," Jacqueline laughed, too, unaware of the changes Toby saw in her face as she did so.

He could still see her, the old Jacqueline, the woman he'd fallen in love with. The moment she'd laughed, the darkness lifted from her eyes and her face lost some of its sharpness.

Hope filled him.

It wasn't too late.

But what of the child, his conscience asked. You have to remember what you promised.

Later. He would deal with that later.

Right now he only wanted to concentrate on the woman he loved.
*****
Arwan watched the couple make love.

Envious, he kept his presence a secret, though he was certain had either of them been paying attention, they would have been alerted to him the moment he materialized in the room.

One always sensed a god. The power they gave off was too great to ignore.

And yet, they were ignoring him, irritating Arwan to no end.

The banshee woman was supposed to have fallen to his charms. Gwydion had given him a directive, and partly because they were old friends, Arwan would follow through on it. But the main reason he'd indulged Gwydion was so he could get a taste of the banshee. She was lovely and there was the promise of untold passion in her.

She should have been grateful for the attentions of a god.

All creatures were.

Then again, she'd just met her father. Maybe her mind wasn't entirely focused on sex then. Perhaps he could make allowances for her this time.

As a god and warrior, Arwan had existed a long time. He couldn't quite remember when Hades had created him and assigned his area of the realm to work. While he wasn't the leader of the Underworld, he'd certainly done his fair share of wrangling lost souls and sending them to their final destinations.

Along the way, he'd developed a god's arrogance when it came to women, especially mortal women. They should all consider themselves lucky if he chose to bestow his kiss on them. After all, the stories of his prowess were legendary--even if they hadn't made it into the history books like Zeus or even Morrigan.

As he watched Jacqueline moan with desire under the hands of her lover, the necklace caught his eye. It lay between her breasts, a beacon catching the light of the room as it sent out its power.

He frowned.

This was a complication.

Morrigan had already marked this woman. That meant no one was allowed to harm her. Was Gwydion aware of this? Was he trying to pull some trick on Arwan which would bring him under Morrigan's wrath? He wouldn't put it past the wizard who had reeked of desperation when they'd spoken.

Two could play that game. He felt no loyalty to Gwydion.

Perhaps it was time for him to pay a little visit to Morrigan, grace her with his many talents, and find out the truth of what was going on. Not to mention that he'd kept a little secret from Gwydion about Merlin and the banshee. The sight of them had intrigued him and instinctively he'd known to hold back and observe.

Morrigan would be grateful to him for finding out the truth about Jacqueline's father.

He watched Jacqueline and Toby a bit longer, until his own needs betrayed him. With a flick of his fingers, he returned to his realm where his servant girls awaited. He gestured to a particularly curvy one whose eyes filled with gratefulness that he'd picked her.

That was more like it.

"Come here." Arwan smiled as he removed her simple white gown. "I have something for you."