Search for the Crystal Key (A Continuation of Dark Escape)

Chapter 13

Fiona watched the shooting star make its way across the rich blue sea of the cloudless night sky while she listened to Brandon's footsteps steadily approach. They were solid steps belonging to a man of strength, determination and confidence. The brilliant moon cast his shadow past her long before his actual arrival. She regretted involving him with this mess. After all, he was just a time traveler with no magical skills to speak of. Placing him in such a risky position when she summoned him to her in the future almost cost him his life at the mercy of that demon. Was that really fair?

"You're deep in thought," Brandon said in a hushed tone. "Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," Fiona replied. "I was just thinking about what to do next."

"I've had some thoughts of my own. If you don't mind I'd like to pass them by you," he volunteered.

Fiona looked at him long and hard with a faint smile while she wondered what a traveler might come up with that an enchantress couldn't.

He returned her look with confusion, seeing nothing in his comment that should have been amusing.

"What are your ideas?" she finally asked.

"If I understand you correctly," he said as he paced absent mindedly. "Lucy is at risk of perishing completely because she and Tara are in the same time zone. Am I correct?"

"Ya are," Fiona agreed.

"I see no other option than to return Tara to the future as quickly as possible. Then, I shall come back alone and search for Dennis in Shadow Land," he said firmly.

"I thought of the first part myself. Returning Tara as soon as possible is a must, but ya can't go into Shadow Land alone. Ya would never return if ya did."

Brandon stopped pacing and faced Fiona, a frown consumed his face.

"It will be difficult enough to convince Tara to return to the future without Dennis even if I promise to come back and collect him myself," he said.

"Never mind the lass. She can be dealt with once we find her," Fiona grumbled. "I didn't say ya wouldn't go to Shadow Land. I said ya couldn't go into Shadow Land alone." She heaved a sigh, "I'll have to go with ya."

"Isn't it just as dangerous for you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Balthazar would like nothing more than to capture an enchantress and force her to do his bidding, "she said with a nod, "but I see no other options. Tara is fading." She closed her eyes and filled her lungs, "I can feel her fading." Fiona spoke over her shoulder as she hurried toward her humble house. "If Tara returns to the future without Dennis she'll focus only on saving him until it happens, which will block any progress in removing that veil, so we can find the key and get our Lucy back."

Brandon felt a wave of dread upon Fiona's reference to Lucy's soul returning to her. It meant Tara would be no more. He found the idea crushing, but there was nothing to be done about it. Her soul could only be with one of them and Lucy owned it first. It seemed only fair and logical to allow her the life she deserved. It was just hard to think of Tara having to lose her life in order for Lucy to have it.

He followed Fiona into the aromatic kitchen and watched as she methodically packed a large leather sack with a variety of herbs. Some he recognized while others were foreign, almost sinister looking. As he watched her methodical movements his mind turned to Maggie. Now that he realized they were one in the same, he could easily see the resemblance. It's frustrating that he hadn't recognized her then until shortly before her demise.

"I had a shield around me to protect me from demons. It prevented ya from seeing the resemblances I think," Fiona stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Plus, I was old. You said you expected me like this, not like that."