A Face Made For Daylight

The Time Has Come Again

Darlings, this chapter is intense and my best one I think.
9 more after this one!
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Alistair stood in the woods faced with Marie.  He hasn't seen her since his wedding day in 1965.  She completely disappeared from his life, leaving him pining over her in dreams.  She clings to his consciousness and wherever he lays.

"Miss me?"  Marie tilted her head smiling.  Alistair stood still, his lips parted as he searched her face.  Marie smiled reading his thoughts.  Her eyes moving down to his neck.  Alistair was her world on a wire.

She stepped closer.  "I missed you Al." She locked eyes with him.  "Al?"  Alistair swallowed the lump in his throat.  Marie stood still, not touching him, yet he felt a tight grip, a hand around his neck.  He couldn't think, was completely numb.

Marie reached her hand out to his cheek. She caressed them with her thumb.  He exhaled, snapping out of it.

"I looked for you."  He squinted his eyes. "fifty six fucking years, I waited for you.  I searched for you.  I was in---"  He held back feeling the lump in his throat again, his voice cracking.

"I was --- so alone. In the dark. Cursed." 

"I'm here now."  She smiled.  Marie parted her lips moving closer to kiss him.  Alistair pursed his lips, turning his head away.  He brought both his hands up gripping hers off his face.  He held her hands and leaned in, his brows furrowed.

"No, Marie."

"Oh because of Stella?"  She scoffed chuckling.  The sound of Stella's name on her tongue brought out a side of him she has never seen before.  His grip tightened around her wrists.  He continued to squeeze as his lips trembled in anger and pain.

"Don't say her fucking name." He shook his head slowly. 

Marie's eyes widened in shock at his reaction.  A smile curled on her lips.  She was older, stronger.  Alistair kept his grip on her wrists held in front of her.  She leaped in crashing her lips on his.  She moaned against his mouth.  Alistair furrowed his brows and let go of her, moving out of the way as he escaped her lips.

She looked as he wiped her red lips stick off his lips.  He was panting and his heart was racing.  Marie licked her lips giggling.  She parted her lips to speak but her smile slowly faded when an image flashed through his mind.

Marie felt her body temperature rise as she fumed.  She saw Stella moaning against his lips.  She squinted reading his mind and saw images of Tabitha, Nathaniel, Stella smiling back at him, the party, the crowds, him singing to her, and of course the cabaret.  Her home. 

She turned her gaze away and her thoughts went to the witch's warning: There is only one power that can weaken the chain:  The power of "The One". True, unconditional, destined love.  Fated love.  The chain will become weaker when they enter the life of the one wearing it.

Marie thought of Tabitha.  Wasn't she the one? It just can't be Stella, it can't.   She looked up to see Alistair narrowing his eyes at her.

"N---no----they didn't lie to me did they.  Kid was telling the truth.  You can read me---can't you?"  Alistair felt his heart beat against the walls of his chest.  A part of him still held onto her, his first true love.  He wanted her to say no.

Marie exhaled and pressed down on her lip. She spoke unemotional.  "It's true, yes."

Alistair felt a deep warm knot in his stomach, rise to his throat.  Numbness trickled down to his toes and fingers.  He felt gutted.  He felt real heartache.