Folk Lore (19 page)

“Of course, it is all new to me and I me
rely need to learn to adjust.”
He stood up abruptly.
“This afternoon, after our visit from Mecaldorf and while practicing in the field, I was unable to concentrate on anything apart from my feelings for her. I simply have to refocus.”

Sera waited for Keelor to come to her room. He told her he had an urgent matter to attend to and she grew concerned. Today in the field she noticed the effect her ability was having on his senses and his emotions. She knew he would be concerned about his ability to protect her while she used her power. Was there a way to avoid him
losing focus, without debilitating him while incapacitating the enemy?

Everything she now knew about Keelor was telling her he would be in turmoil about his law breaking activities with her, his perceived inability to protect her properly because of his overwhelming emotions and his concern for her along with the task they would be facing at dawn the day after next. Sera paced as she thought over how she could control her ability, to only inhibit the enemy when there was a knock at her door. As she walked towards it she called out to him in a seductive voice.

“You know you don’t have to knock. What took you so long?”

When she pulled open the door, she found Nermo standing on the other side.

“Oh it’s you,” she answered disappointed.

“You could be a little happy to see me, as I am pleased to see you. I realise I appear to have been avoiding you however this was because I was ordered to by the elders. Just now though, you confirmed my suspicions about your relationship with the elf.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nermo,” she replied gesturing for him to come in.
“I was waiting for my mother.”

“Do you always talk to your mother in that sexy tone?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“
Sure you don’t.”
He smirked and strolled to her, standing so close they were almost touching.
“You were amazing today.”

“Yes
,
well, it’s pretty amazing I could do these things all along.”

“It is pretty amazing how you can make us all feel too and Keelor
especially,
who I thought was totally devoid of any sort of feelings.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You don’t seem to know very much. Elder Annaphina, Keela and I all noted how he reacted to you today. How you make us feel is heavenly.”

“Oh, Nermo, I just had a thought!  Can I try something?”

“By all means.”

She concentrated on the feelings that put the vampires out of action whilst trying to separate each emotion to test whether she
could still harm the vampires without having the rest of the folk distracted. Concentrating on anxiety only she pushed away the concern and watched Nermo. He seemed to be unaffected.

“Did you feel anything then?”

“No only my usual fascination with you.”

“Good, I want to try something else.”

This time she swapped the feelings around and felt only concern. This incited Nermo to embrace her and plant his lips passionately on hers which changed her feelings from concern to annoyance. Her hands began to glow and Sera automatically lifted them. A force without heat emitted from her hands and propelled him from her.

“
Wow,” she gasped.
Sera looked over where Nermo was sprawled on the floor across the room.
“I‘ve worked out how to do different things with different emotions. Oh, by the way, are you alright?” 

He leaped up in his agile way and brushed himself off as though nothing happened.

“Of course I am. As I have said before I knew you were special. Each emotion obviously generates a different response from you.”

“Yes which is good because this way when I incapacitate the vampires I won’t have you all basking in the glow and preventing you from fighting.”

“Can you please do the other one again?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You wouldn’t like to kiss me again? Your lips said otherwise.”

“No, Nermo, my hands showed you how I actually felt.”

“He will not risk losing his home for you.” She didn’t answer so he continued.
“He would never risk what he has for love. Ask him about Hallow and you will find out the truth.”

“Who’s Hallow?”

“Ask him. I would leave my home, these lands, to be with you. Ask yourself whether he would do the same.”

Striding over to her again, Nermo kissed her tenderly and stopped before she could repeat her previous reaction and left her hut.

As Keelor strolled deep in thought towards Sera’s front door he ran into Nermo leaving.

“What are you doing here, pixie?”

“I should be asking you that question, Keelor.”

“I know what I am doing.”

“You will hurt her. I will not.”

“Do not tell me, Nermo, what I will or will not do.”

Pushing past Nermo, Keelor entered Seraphina’s without knocking. He was greeted by her welcoming, beautiful yet excited face.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I have something to show you.” He waited.
“Tell me if you feel anything.”

“No
,
not a thing,” he told her.

“Good
,
I think I have a way of hurting vampires without affecting other folk. Perhaps tomorrow I can test it out on Angeles.”

“This would be useful indeed. I find it very difficult to concentrate when you applied this skill thus far.”

“Alright, tell me what you feel now.”

Instantly the tranquillity shrouded him and rendered him completely helpless but deliriously happy.

“It’s alright. I don’t need your answer.”

“I have two more and please, forgive me if I hurt you.”

“I do not think you could physically hurt me, Seraphina.” 

Sending the warmth through her hands, Sera tried to increase the power used previously. The invisible force shot out to push against Keelor, pinning him to the wall. Sera held it, to discover, she could hold him in place and noted he struggled to break her hold. She held him there for a while to tease him a little before letting him go.

“Sera, you are amazing,” he said.

“I can use each separate emotion in different ways. I believe each one becomes a healing power and an extension of the emotion. The first one I used was anxiety which you didn’t feel but I’m hoping vampires still do. The second was concern and I believe this heals
people around me emotionally. To entice the physical healing power I use compassion. The feeling I used just then was annoyance and would be interested to see what happens when I’m really angry. So far when using the bolts from my hands I have felt sadness at the same time.” 

“Try just sadness if you can.”

The thought of losing Keelor brought her sadness to the surface and as it overcame her, Sera’s hands glowed red hot, pulsing. Keelor stepped forward and the pulse grew stronger as though pushing him away or perhaps she decided, warning him away. She stopped it immediately. Sera didn’t like how she felt when this occurred.

“I don’t like that one,” she told him.

“Yes I felt warned as though you were protecting your feelings against me. Perhaps that is why the bolts pulse when you are feeling angry and sad. Anger alone may produce a stream. Tomorrow we will practice.”

Deciding she wanted only love, she gratefully allowed the emotion to devour her body. Keelor’s face became full of her and his love. Crossing the room he kissed her with such intensity she began to drown in it. As the feeling increased so did his passion. He began to tear at her clothes, pulling her hard against him as though he couldn’t get close enough to her.

Walking backwards he brought her with him to her hammock and as her passion became the predominate emotion his need to be as close as possible to her was ferocious as though making love to her would save his life.

They lay together silently wrapped in each other’s arms, content and fulfilled, the warming glow surrounding them.

“Sera,” he spoke quietly not wanting to break through the magic surrounding them.
“As much as I love how fantastically hungry you make me for you, I am afraid I am going to hurt you with my vehemence and craving to be close to you.”

“Not possible, I feel way too good. You should know you can feel it too.”

“Yes I do, being with you is
...
I cannot explain it. I love you does not seem like enough.”

With a suddenness that scared her he grew quiet and sombre.

“What is it, Keelor?”

“I am concerned about my ability to protect you adequately.”

“I promise to avoid any of my abilities which could make it difficult for you to do this.”

“Sera, even when you do not generate these wonderful feelings, I am still unable to completely focus around you. I have been unable to since the moment I saw you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, why do you think I ran hot and cold all the time? I wanted to break the law every time I was near you and fought against those feelings because they are forbidden.”

“What are we going to do, Keelor?”

“Continue to hide from everyone. Keela has seen right through me.”

“So have my mother and Nermo. He was here before.”

“I know, I saw him outside.
We will have to be more careful around others. This evening while dining in the courtyard you touched my face this could give us away. It is alright for folk we trust to keep our secret however I do not believe we can trust all within the circle to conceal the truth. Speaking of revealing our secrets, what did that infuriating pixie want this time?”

“It isn’t important.”

“What did he do?” his voice held more than simple annoyance now.

“Who is Hallow?” A groan was his only response. His eyes closed as though he didn’t want to look into her eyes and reveal the truth
.“Keelor?”

“Ridiculous pixie cannot keep his thoughts to himself.”

“Please, Keelor.”

He sighed and turned to stare into her eyes before pulling her closer.

“There is a reason beside my profound respect for the law, why I was so reluctant to allow you to become close to me.”

“Did you love her?” she whispered not really wanting to know.

“My feelings for her were strong affection.”

“What happened?”

“It was many years ago now. I had recently become Keela’s protector and we were training to join the circle when we came of age. Hallow was already the pixie princess and so beautiful.” He stopped and another irritated sigh escaped.
Sera wasn’t
sure if it was annoyance at Nermo or at himself.

“I don’t know if I want to hear this after all.” 

As fear began to grow in her chest, Keelor winced in pain.

“
Sera,
please do not do that. It feels like you are piercing me with a knife. You have absolutely nothing to fear. Shall I finish my story?”  She nodded.

“She was a very powerful pixie more so than Nermina. She could control and imprison anyone and anything with her dust. As she was so proficient with her magic and at fighting, the elders instructed us to train together as mixing folk to fight helped fine tune our abilities. Soon her affection for me became more than intended. I was in awe of her, for she was older and thus wiser than I at the time. One day she kissed me and suggested we reveal ourselves to the circle and endure the consequences. She said she did not care about the law and would sacrifice everything to be with me. To begin with I agreed. I was totally infatuated with her which was more
obsession
, admiration and the thrill of breaking the law than love. The day we were going to announce our intention and face our punishment I realised I loved my home, honoured my duty and respected the law more than any feelings I had for her. She did not take it well and revealed her feelings to the circle anyway. I hide my true feelings and lied. I told the circle the feelings were not mutual. She was banished and I never saw her again.”

“This is why you are so aloof because you were upset with yourself for allowing it to happen and for hurting Hallow.”

“Yes”

“Did you ever
...?”

“I have been able to control such feelings for folk that are not my own, not even my feelings for her would allow me to break the law in this way. There have been elfin though.”

“Are you sorry you have with me?” she asked in a small voice.

“No, Sera. I would be prepared to receive any punishment the elders and circle saw fit to be with you.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Nermo said you would never break the law for anyone.”

“Nermo does not know my heart, Seraphina. I would never have broken the law willingly for Hallow, however I would for you.”