Hybrid Trilogy

Chapter 40 Civil War

As the morning progressed the sun rose into a crystal clear blue sky, the air was fresh & crisp as some autumn mornings tended to be, the sound of Bird song piercing the silence. Theon helped George open the deli bar in an aim to get back to some sort of normality. Midday approached & the lady Alcina & Ruby with Unity in her arms stepped out into the yard "so, you are happy to deal with the office, I don't want them getting suspicious about my sudden departure?" the lady asked in her smooth & calming voice. "yes, you needn't worry, I will take your niece in to distract them & tell them" Ruby began "& that I've sent you to open our new office in Rumania" she finished "wait did you just say, 'MY NIECE?" the lady asked surprised at Ruby's announcement still trying to come to terms with her new role. "yes, my friend I could not think of anyone who I would rather have as Unity's godmother" Ruby affirmed "oh, my dear friend it would be an honour" the lady replied "oh, how will we ever manage without you" Ruby wailed softly.

The lady Alcina stopped & turned to Ruby, taking up her free hand "look my friend" she started, looking intently at Ruby "I LOVE YOU, the kind of love that only ever exists in romantic novels, I have always loved you, ever since we first met & I always will" she continued ruby looked sheepishly at the lady feeling suddenly uncomfortable "forgive me Ruby I understand that this is unrequited & I have long since come to terms with that, but there is only one other person I know who loves you as much as I do, & that is George, he has always loved you with a strength of feeling that surpasses even my own & he is the strongest Werewolf alive, so he will always protect you both" the lady continued " remember the (Vinculum inter animam) spell that I cast well I have recast both that and the protection spell, & it is now around you & George" she stopped as, at this point he came out to join them "so anything either of you is touching" she began again linking arms with them both "will be protected by the same enchantment, & what's more as the lady Alcina has cast these enchantments they cannot be broken....ever!"

She concluded "oh & of course there is the fact that every single Werewolf in the dimension of man has your back" she added turning her attention to George & stroking Unity's soft baby cheek as she did. "Now you look after this one & my niece" the lady said

George smiled warmly at the lady "do not fear my lady I will, nothing is getting near my pack as the alfa I assure you" he stated defiantly "will we ever see you again my lady?" Asked Ruby "oh, my dear friend Alcina will do fine, well I would hope so, I will need to check on the progress of my niece, but to be fair I cannot say for sure what will be, only the prophecy is known to me, and you both know of that yourselves, so please look after Unity" the lady Alcina re-iterated "as I said I will keep a weather eye on you all" she added "so will you travel back the same way your mother used to?" Asked Ruby "no my friend I am as yet still unsure of that skill" she said tinged with humour, just then Theon who had gone to fetch his jeep said in his deep re-assuring tone "fear not my lady Alcina as George's second in command I will ensure the pack keep the Vampire from their door." They all climbed in to the white 4x4 & drove the 15 miles to Godalming in silence, save that of Unity's chuckles.

They parked at the Richmond arms pub & all walked to the pepper pot, fortunately the town wasn't very busy & there were very few people around. They all went inside & up the narrow staircase to the pepper pot museum, the only upstairs room. Had Windows on 7 of its 8 walls giving the room plenty of light, it housed a number of historical stands and in the far corner of the oddly shaped room against the only wall without a window was a full-length dress mirror that glowed purple, but everyone else only saw a regular mirror, so

that only the lady could see it's colour, she stepped forward kissing each of them on the forehead, then took Unity into her arms "& you my dear girl, you are very special, & not just because you are my niece, so you make sure you look after them" she said chuckling Unity gurgled & giggled at her as she handed her back to Ruby. Then she backed into the mirror smiling warmly at them all as she did, the mirror & light engulfed her & she was gone.