To Have And To Hold

The Hardest Lessons, Part III

Chapter Ten: The Hardest Lessons, Part III

TATIANA

My words to Ursula regarding Igor and her amulet affected Maxim quite dramatically, inquiring in a devastated tone, “Wait! The necklace he was holding yesterday—that’s how he is controlling you—how Igor can still hurt you! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Rest easy, Maxim,” Ursula quietly consoled him, “If I had told you about my amulet, then you never would have allowed me to help you. Now, let’s allow the Fairy Queen to work her powerful magic. What do I need to do, Tatiana?”

I extended out my hand, engulfing Ursula in my green as I instructed, “Bring forth an image of the amulet with your magic, Ursula. As detailed as possible, please.”

Extending both her hands out, Ursula created a floating image of her necklace, nodding when she finished as I slowly breathed out my incantation, “Now that I can finally see, bring Ursula’s amulet forth to me. The chains that bind her, no longer shall they be. It’s time to set this sorceress free.”

Raising one of my hands up into the air, I circled my first two fingers around and around, streams of my gleaming green forming a small tornadic sphere just above my other hand. Once I finished the little windstorm, I directed the luminous yellow necklace towards me, hovering it over the top of my spell before slowly lowering it inside, the yellow glow dissipating as Ursula’s magical duplicate of her amulet disappeared into the turbulent force I had created.

Placing my free hand over the top of my little green tornado, I slowly began pressing down on the swirling winds, which sent green sparkles flying out across the bottom of my palm, spilling over the sides as I squashed my minuscule twister.

With my two hands clasped together now, I slowly felt the treasure I sought weighing against my palm. Pulling back my top hand, I was pleased to find that Ursula’s amulet was no longer held by Igor—but held in my hand as I took possession of the necklace...

With a satisfied grin, I enthused, “Now, let’s remove the vicious spell put in place on this beautiful sparkler so I can return it to its rightful owner, hmmmm?”

Flicking my hand across the top, particles of blue began rising into the air from the gold encased citrine stone, soon destroyed, disappearing from our sight by my forceful green powers.

Her eyes wide and teary, Ursula murmured out in awe, “I—I can’t believe it! You—You did that with such—ease! Your magic is like nothing I have ever seen before!”

I felt Horacio’s arm weave around my waist as he proudly declared, “My Fairy Queen is nothing like any of us has seen. She is definitely one-of-a-kind—” Kissing the top of my head, he added, “In both her beauty and her powers.”

Laughing softly, I walked up to Ursula, placing her beloved treasure in her hand, warmly telling her, “I believe this is yours.”

“Thank you, Tatiana,” Ursula earnestly breathed out, a lone tear falling down her face, “While it has not quite set in, I owe you my life for setting me free and returning this to me.”

Winking at her, I kindly whispered, “You owe me nothing, Ursula—other than a visit with my sisters, who are anxious to see you. They are aware of your arrival and are waiting outside the doors once we are done here.”

Slowly turning my attention to the anxious-looking young man beside the elder witch, I felt my own tears forming—he looked so much like Keegan, it took my breath away. I became infuriatingly provoked, however, when I noticed a fresh bruise on his left cheek...

With a forced warm smile on my face, I softly greeted, “Hello, Maxim. It’s nice to finally meet you. There is much for us to discuss. Perhaps we should begin our talk by you explaining how you obtained that bruise on your handsome face.”

************

IGOR

“HOW COULD HE DO THIS?” I roared out at the top of my lungs, wrapping my hand around the top of a wooden chair by the small table in Maxim’s room before launching it across the room, bellowing out at the top of my lungs, “HOW COULD MAXIM BETRAY ME THIS WAY?”

Oralia was standing in the doorway, dumbfounded as she peered around the empty room, sobbing out, “How could Maxim betray me this way? My own son has chosen to abandon his mother! The only family he has left!”

I was in bed with Oralia when I was alerted to the betrayal taking place in my own tunnels by Ursula, Maxim, and Anabelle. The amulet that allowed me maintain control over the witch was in the pocket of my pants, which suddenly lit up in green. By the time I ran over to pick them up, Ursula’s necklace was gone. And knowing where the witch was headed before my tryst, I had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t the only one to make an escape...

“I can’t believe Ursula betrayed us,” Arturo angrily spat, “I should have known better than to trust that damn witch!”

“Maxim has always been odd in his way of thinking,” Lucious irritatingly thought out loud, “He’s never acted like one of us. Made it almost impossible to believe he was yours and Kristoff’s kid.”

“MAXIM IS MY SON! And I want him back!” Oralia cried out, “How do we get Maxim back here where he belongs?”

Pulling her into my embrace, Oralia’s tears only brought forth more fury inside me. Whether he was her son or not, I wanted to kill all three of the treacherous betrayers of my trust—especially Maxim! I had such high hopes for him. I was willing to hand that boy greatness on a silver platter, offering him the chance to learn from me—train with me—give him all the spoils he could ever wish for—and instead, Maxim chose to defy me!

I couldn’t deny it was going to be hard for me not to inflict great harm on Maxim if I found a way to get him back here—he had committed the utmost betrayal of my trust, just like Mahan’s father, Jules, did. It may bode well for me to make every attempt possible to turn mother against son so I could have my way with him, just like I was going to make Mahan pay for his father’s sins...

“What do we do now, Igor?” Lucious cautiously questioned, “If they have gone to The Council—.”

“If you are worried about The Council finding out where we are—don’t,” I confidently broke in, “Maxim and Anabelle were brought here by magic, but not Ursula’s. The same witch who brought Ursula here unconscious, leaving her unaware as well. The one I will call on now to assist us with this little problem—Sahar.”

************

TATIANA

My question about his injury brought forth a nervousness in Maxim, who also appeared curious about me in his reply, “It’s nice to meet you, Tatiana. I’ve heard many things about you, but what you did for Ursula—that was really impressive and exceeds anything I imagined.”

Taking in a deep breath, the young man hesitantly continued, “And to answer your question, I had a bit of a rough workout with Igor this morning. He wanted to teach me a hard lesson while also trying to mold me into a younger version of himself, which to be truthful, is one of the reasons I needed to make my escape from the tunnels. I have no desire to become anything like Igor. It took a bit, but I figured out his patterns, enabling me to fight back. I ended up sending Igor sailing across the room a couple of times, landing really hard on the other side, so he stopped the workout.”

“As I have seen Igor’s tactics first-hand, I must say—I have seen few with the ability to accomplish that feat, young Maxim, even in a workout,” Mahan thoughtfully stated, “If that is true, it would mean that you are a very impressive and talented warrior.”

“Show me, if you don’t mind,” I politely encouraged, finding myself intrigued by his story as well.

Reaching out for his hands, which he placed in my grasp without hesitation, I replayed Igor’s little lesson from Maxim’s memory—grinning at the young man as I watched him make his well thought-out and calculated moves against the Rogue Alpha, enthusing, “Maxim is indeed very impressive, Mahan. Not only did he accomplish the feat, but he did so very powerfully and with authority.”

Maxim continued to stare at me in amazement, allowing me to explore a bit further. The next memory, however, was frightening to watch. There was a young, scantily clad girl named Raphaela, who, from what I gathered, was terrorizing the young girl standing beside Maxim now—Anabelle. I saw something there too, but decided to wait for that reveal as I watched the other’s girls fate play out...

As I feared, things ended very badly for Raphaela, which made me quite furious with Igor. Regardless of the girl’s actions or true nature, she did not deserve what had been done to her any more than Maxim deserved what was done to him. My eyes darting up to Mahan momentarily, I deliberately stated, “It would appear Igor rules with an iron fist that he utilizes often to intimidate and control his followers—in the most violent of ways.”

“Igor is violent—and dangerous. That’s why I took Ursula up on her offer and chose to come to The Council after his actions this morning,” Maxim hoarsely returned, his gaze hopeful, thoughtfully adding, “Thank you for what you did for her, by the way. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if Ursula had to pay the price for my deceptive choice.”

His soft, deep tone even brought forth memories of Keegan, which caused the glaze in my eyes to thicken as I graciously assessed, “I can see you are just as I expected, Maxim—kind and full of heart.”

Looking over at the young petite girl beside him with long brown hair and big, beautiful brown eyes, I amicably addressed, “And this lovely young lady is Anabelle.”

Her cheeks turned a bit rosy as she shyly replied, “Yes, m’am—and your right about Maxim. He is both kind and full of heart. He brought me with him so Igor couldn’t hurt me anymore.”

“I see,” I kindly replied, extending my hand out, “Would you allow me a glimpse of Igor’s actions against you, Anabelle?”

After a silent, quick nod, Anabelle gingerly placed her quivering hand in mine as I peered deep into her gaze that instantly turned troubled. The reasons why were revealed mere seconds later when pieces of her past played out—her parents’ deaths, Igor’s despicable and barbaric treatment of her, as well as the belittling and degrading treatment the poor girl received from his little harem of misguided young girls.

The cold-blooded and merciless beatings Anabelle endured, however, were the most unfathomable to me, making her original escape plan before she found her way to Maxim heartbreaking, but in the worst of ways, understandable...

Smiling at her, I whispered under my breath, “Your parents raised an incredibly strong and beautiful young lady. We all falter, Anabelle, but I’m glad you found a way to remember the lessons they taught you.”

Tears brimmed the edges of her eyes as Anabelle inaudibly replied, “So am I.”

Turning my sympathetic gaze back to Maxim, I discreetly relayed, “It would appear you have great timing as well, Maxim. I have no doubt that if it weren’t for you, Anabelle’s life would have ended in those tunnels.”

My despairing eyes slowly moved up to look at each of my family members above us, who had remained silent, but kept aware—each of their gazes saddened and concerned as I sorrowfully informed them, “Igor’s vicious attacks against Anabelle will need to be noted so that charges can be brought forth against him. This brave young lady has endured several severe lashings from him that have resulted in great injuries being inflicted upon her back, many of which continue to cause her a great deal of pain. Fortunately, Ursula provided some assistance with it yesterday, but if The Council will allow, I would like Talon and Raven to assess Anabelle at Crescent Moon.”

“Duly noted and I’ll allow it—with the understanding that The Council will need to meet with Anabelle for further questioning following Talon’s examination and treatment of her wounds so that we can make sure Igor is charged for every crime he has committed against her,” Nicholas replied with great sensitivity towards our young, innocent victim, his tone gentle as he addressed her, “I am Alpha Nicholas, Anabelle. Leader of both The Council and Crescent Moon. And I can assure you—Igor will never inflict harm on you again. You have both my protection and my word on that.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Alpha Nicholas,” Anabelle gratefully replied, looking over at Maxim, who smiled warmly at her as she nervously asked, “Can Maxim come with me to Crescent Moon?”

“I’m afraid not at first,” Madeline compassionately answered, “But he will be brought there soon as well. We have a few more things to discuss with Maxim beforehand.”

“You need to let them help you, Anabelle,” Maxim softly encouraged, “Like the Alpha said, I’ll be there soon.”

While still a bit reluctant, Anabelle agreed to be sent to Talon and Raven, who I informed of her impending arrival, as well as Aruna, feeling she might be able to help the young girl feel more at ease. After sending her to Crescent Moon, Maxim once again expressed his gratitude to The Council before looking back over at me.

I continued to be affected by the similarities between Maxim and Keegan, which did not go unnoticed as he cordially pressed, “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I appreciate the kindness being shown by you and The Council. But I thought when we all showed up here, we would face harsh treatment. Being not only a Blood Horizon, but the son of their former Beta, Kristoff, I was ready to beg for mercy from everyone, especially The Council.”

His gaze diverting to Ursula momentarily before returning to me, Maxim proved he was just as intuitive as his father as well, “Ursula said there were truths I needed to know about. And the way you are looking at me with tears in your eyes—I can’t help but feel that you know what those truths are, Tatiana.”

Glancing up at my family again, I felt Horacio’s warmth as he came up behind me, his hand gently resting on my shoulder as Ursula knowingly exhaled out, “The boy is right, isn’t he? You’ve seen what I could not see clearly.”

Giving her an uncomfortable acknowledging nod, I swallowed hard, turning my attention back to Maxim, soothingly murmuring, “It’s rare for me to struggle to find words, but I’m afraid I am having great difficulty in figuring out how to say what needs to be said to you now. I have seen your truth, Maxim, but it may be very difficult for you to hear what I know to be true.”

Anxiously biting the inside of his cheek, Maxim hesitantly urged, “I need to know whatever this truth is—please, just tell me, Tatiana.”

“Alright,” I reluctantly agreed, taking in my own much-needed oxygen before comfortingly exhaling out, “I’m afraid Kristoff and Oralia have not been truthful to you, Maxim. You were not born a Blood Horizon. Your biological mother, Evangeline was a rogue and your father, Keegan—was a Mystic Fire.”

I could see immense pain filtering into his gaze as Maxim shockingly exhaled out, “I—I don’t believe—that can be! My parents—Kristoff—Oralia—they—how? W-Why?”

As I cautiously relayed to Maxim the truth of his beginning, the young man’s face fell deeper and deeper into despair as he realized the betrayal that had taken place and the lies he had unknowingly been led to believe his whole life. My heart felt so heavy, devastated for Maxim as I explained everything—including the fact that his real parents had both tragically passed...

Wanting desperately to make it up to him in at least a small way, I kindly offered, “Would you like to see them? Your parents? Perhaps it can give you a sense of connection to them and to the love they shared that culminated in the incredible son they created together.”

In his broken state, all Maxim could do was silently give an approving nod before I took his hand in mine again, instructing him to close his eyes as I showed him Evangeline and Keegan, including a few visions I had been gifted with of them together, walking through the forest and laughing together—their eyes reflecting every ounce of deep love and adoration they had for one another.

Towards the end, I showed him the image of Evangeline holding him after his birth—the warm smile on her face reflecting the immense love she felt for her precious baby boy. The very last image being one from my memories—Keegan boisterously laughing at a dinner at Mystic Fire, his jovial, warm-hearted spirit shining brightly in his rugged, striking face—a face that was mirrored in his son who stood before me now...

“I look just like him—my father,” Maxim exhaled out in awe, relieving my heartache as an enamored smile slowly crossed his face, “I’ve always felt so different and odd—so out of place—until this very moment. And now I know why—I’ve never been a Blood Horizon! I’ve had a little Mystic Fire blood in me all along!”

“You’ve had more than just a little of it coursing through your veins, Maxim,” Madeline enthusiastically informed him, leading Maxim to open his eyes to gaze up at her, “Your actions have proven that you are a Mystic Fire in every way! Something that with your permission, I would like to rectify in due order to make it well-known to all!”

**********

ARUNA

After Tati linked telling me what happened in The Council courtroom, I quickly made my way to the hospital to see our young visitor, Anabelle, who was being treated by Raven and Talon for injuries she had sustained during her imprisonment in Igor’s tunnels.

While Tati had informed me of what she had seen in her visions—the severe lashings that had been inflicted upon the poor innocent girl—what I saw when I entered the room brought tears to my eyes. Anabelle’s petite frail frame was emblazoned on the back with long deep marks left from Igor’s sadistic attacks on her.

Her head slowly turned to look at me—the sadness contained within her gaze disheartening me further—as I pleasantly greeted, “Hello, Anabelle. I’m Luna Aruna. I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to personally come to welcome you to Crescent Moon and check to see how you are doing, my dear.”

My words were met with the sweetest smile crossing the dark-haired girl’s face, “It’s nice to meet you, Luna Aruna. Thank you for taking the time to come all the way down here to greet me. It was incredibly kind of you.”

Biting her lower lip, Anabelle embarrassingly added, “I know it looks bad—my back. But I’m fine—really. The hardest lessons are the ones your soul needs most. By enduring this, it led me to Maxim, which led to my freedom from the misery of Igor’s tunnels and brought me here.”

As I made my way over to stand in front of her, I ardently stated, “While I appreciate that you can look at this in a positive light, Anabelle, what has been done to you is no lesson, dear. Abuse is something that one should never have to endure at anyone’s hand for any reason. No one has the right to do something so vicious, nor do they have the right to take away your freedom or your happiness.”

“Yes, m’am,” Anabelle shamefully replied, her gaze falling towards the floor.

Cupping her chin, I gently brought her gaze back up to mine, affectionately telling her, “There is no need for shame to cross that pretty face of yours, Anabelle. My words weren’t meant to bring forth that emotion. I greatly admire courage, which I see you have a great deal of, as well as strength and dignity. That kind of beauty is the hardest for many to obtain, especially in the face of such dire circumstances. The kind of beauty that comes from within—and you, my dear Anabelle, are breathtakingly beautiful!”

“No one has ever said anything so kind to me,” Anabelle demurely returned, “Thank you, Luna Aruna.”

“Always,” I affectionately whispered, peering over at Raven and Talon who looked up at me with adoring gazes as I encouraged, “Let’s get our Anabelle all fixed up so I can take her back up to my wing for a little something to eat and some rest. I know Nicholas planned for her to have a room in the main house, but I am enjoying her company and conversation immensely. I think I may be a little selfish and have a room prepared for Anabelle to keep her close to me for a while, so we can continue to get to know one another better.”