The Source: Moonlight's Heir

Chapter 6

She was beautiful, Jordan had been admiring her all morning. Okay, really longer than that, since she arrived actually. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her.She was a living painting, every brushstroke of her features a masterpiece, and he was unable to look away, as if she were a magnet pulling his gaze towards her.

The difference between the old Elizabeth and the new Elizabeth was like trying to measure the distance between a mountain and a pebble, or an ocean and a drop of rain. Not possible.

Where she once had chestnut hair, it was now bright silver, nearly the color of ice and it cascaded down her back with curls that framed her heart shaped face. At least that didn't change. Her golden eyes, which he had fallen in love with, had turned the palest shade of blue he had ever seen; it was almost as if she was the moon in human form. Her beauty radiates through the room, outshining everything in its path. She was exuding an aura of elegance and grace, unmatched with any he had seen before.

Her deep tan, which matched his, accented her bright features creating an ethereal glow about her. She looked like a goddess. There was a moon birthmark just below her left pointed ear that had a slight shimmer to it. Its iridescent glow solidified the goddess illusion.

He couldn't help but notice how her features seemed perfectly symmetrical. Lost in his own thoughts, when she collapsed in front of the mirror, he hardly had time to make it to her. He was more thankful than ever that he could fully use his magic again. It allowed him to be there in a heartbeat, scooping her up into his arms and holding her fragile body against his hard chest for a second of comfort. He felt her hot breath caress his skin as he stared into her face in the mirror.

"You made me a vegetable apparently?" she said. Blaine laughed as he slowly let her go back to standing solo. She was like a fawn, all awkward angles and flimsy footing.

"No, darling," Blaine smiled at her. His smile not quite reaching his eyes. He was still reeling from her drastic change. "Magic takes a second for the body to adjust to. Give yourself time."

He felt her eyes on him. He was suddenly hit with the need to share with her that he found her beautiful, in both forms. " And for the record, I found you beautiful before, Beth, but this is you. Before you were not really you, this is what you look like I'm afraid, and I'd be lying if I didn't call you stunning. However, I didn't realize that you would change so drastically," he whispered.

Blaine watched her cheeks turn bright red. Heat flooded his face. A compliment, just a compliment. She said nothing as her eyes met his in the mirror.

"To answer your question, 'what did I do to you,' I think it is pretty obvious that I made you a vision from a fairy tale. But more than that, I brought you home."

She stared at me with those cold eyes, "Home? Then where was I before if not home? Besides what happened to you, why are you different?"

Her soft voice was like listening to a melody from the angels, she turned around to me and rubbed her hand up my chest stopping at my collarbone where my tattoo was on full display.

"I'm still the same Blaine you know, just because I didn't use my real name doesn't mean anything," he sighed, "it's a long story, Beth."

She laughed for the first time since she awoke, rolling her eyes, "Of course it is, isn't it always? I need to lie down."

He reached out and grabbed her waist, holding onto her tightly as she shuffled back towards the bed.

"I'll tell you later, Beth, I promise." Blaine let his voice trail off as he glanced back towards the mirror. If he looked hard enough, would this new Beth be standing there, or his Beth from the shanty? He knew the answer was that Elizabeth Manson no longer existed in the way he knew her. Now that the necklace had claimed her as its own, he doubted he would ever see that Elizabeth again.

He knew that the necklace would either kill or transform its owner, that's why he debated putting the necklace on her to begin with. Meredith assured him that she was the one. She had a gut feeling about it. Jordan was thankful that it worked out how it did, minus her no longer believing him. But he didn't blame her.

Brett and Meredith had explained to him that the necklace that Josephine had given him was one from lore. They were baffled and stunned he possessed it and immediately started scouting out women for him to test it on. They learned the hard way that the necklace would kill or reveal. He will never get over the look on the innocent girl's face when she sucked in her last breath.

It haunted him. When he saw that Elizabeth was not suffering the same fate, he became hopeful. Only people that were truly of this realm could be transported home and revealed. He was thankful that it worked. But he also knew this meant that he had to discover who she actually was. He had ideas...no, she can't possibly be.

He sighed as he heard her plop down on the feathered mattress, interrupting his thoughts. Jordan didn't like this new dynamic between them. This Elizabeth didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. But he was still the same Blaine she had known for the last seven years, just a little different on the outside, and a new name. He understood her apprehension—it usually came with the pointed ears and the odd flakes in his eyes, if he recalled correctly. He was sure that having a totally different name didn't help either.

As she was curling up on the bed, he climbed into the bed beside her brushing her hair with gentle fingers as she sunk into the covers. He felt her slowly inch closer to him, and he pulled her head to rest on his chest. She was obviously mad, but some part of her recognized that he was still the Blaine she knew. She still found comfort in him. He appreciated that. It was a small step.

Jordan let his mind wander. He was caught in a labyrinth of possibilities and impossibilities, his mind a chaotic maze of missed chances and unknown futures. But the gentle sounds of her slumber, like a symphony of peaceful notes, pulled him back to the present, and for a brief moment, they were one.

Jordan's gaze drifted around the room as he lay awake, taking in the familiar sight of Elizabeth's sleeping form next to him. Her long hair splayed out on the pillow, her face relaxed in a peaceful expression. Moonlight filtered in through the window now, casting a soft glow on their intertwined bodies and casting shadows on the walls. She was out like a light, and not too long after, so was he at least for a few hours.

He woke up startled from his dream by the weight of the journey he must lead her on. The moon was bright against the dark sky outside the window and shadows danced on the stone walls. There was a fire that must have been lit sometime during his slumber, and there was a breeze rustling the forest green velvet curtains. He took one more look at Elizabeth and took a deep breath as he ran his hands through his hair.

Jordan knew that he had made them wait long enough, Meredith and Brett, would want a report on her recovery. What all she knew, what all he had told her... This is going to be harder than he thought. He stood from the bed and made his way to the door, carefully unlocking it with a wave of his hand. He glanced back one last time at the girl he left laying behind. She was playing right into the enemies hands—his hands, by default. He knew he couldn't protect them both from his cousin, but he had to try and that meant playing along.

At least for now.