Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 1 (Afterlife saga Book 7) (36 page)

Chapter 35

Journey Impossible

Draven’s surprise gift completely floored me and if I needed any bigger sign than that then I was a blind fool. For I knew there could be nothing greater than Draven himself handing me the key to my destiny. After this I asked him in a soft wanting voice to simply make love to me, for I knew what he didn’t and that it would be our last chance for some time. I couldn’t believe how much I was going to miss him, even though I was leaving in search of a younger version of him, I knew it still wasn’t the same. It felt as though I had only just got him back and now I was being forced to leave him once more. It was certainly a cruel hand of fate which I had been dealt but one that I could only hope wasn’t all in vain.

Not long after we made love was the heart wrenching task of saying goodbye.  Early the next morning Sophia knocked on our door to get Draven, sending him off to where the rest of the groomsmen were waiting to leave for Worcester. It was under a three-hour drive away so we had plenty of time to get there as the wedding itself was planned for later in the day. Draven had managed to have Witley Court closed for the day so that Sophia’s wedding arrangements could be made without interruption.

I would never forget having to say goodbye to Draven not knowing how long we would be parted, but what was worse was having to hide my anguish from him. I had asked Sophia to give us a minute so she waited in our bedroom.

“I will see you at the altar, sweetheart.” Draven told me kissing my cheek gently, only for me it wasn’t enough. So I took him by surprise and gripped him to me, kissing him as if it would be our last and I both loved and hated every second of it. Goosebumps rippled along my skin and if I hadn’t been kissing him I would have been sobbing in his arms. I wanted to burn every inch of him to memory and remember the taste of his lips, the scent of his neck when I buried my head there and I wanted to remember how loved he made me feel with every adoring look he gave me.

But most importantly, I didn’t want to walk away. But I pulled back and up until that moment I hadn’t known my own strength.

“That felt like another gift,” he told me softly, putting his forehead to mine and I could barely hold myself back any longer. My fingers ached in the fists I held them and I welcomed the pain as my nails dug crescent moons into my palms. I needed something, anything to focus on other than the pain I was inflicting upon my heart.

“It was…and now I give you another.” I unclenched my fists and pulled off my beautiful wedding ring, knowing that I had to do this. I had to push myself harder than ever before, holding back every instinct I had that wanted to just hold him to me and never let go. But instead I took his hand and placed my ring in his palm and said,

“I will be back to get this soon, take good care of it for me for I will be waiting to wear it again when I meet you at that altar...
take care of my heart and my wings, Dominic.”
  I finally looked up at him and I hated the single tear that fell.

“Hey, come now,” he said wiping away that tear with his thumb.

“Promise me, Draven.” He took a better look at me and whatever he found he must have known that I needed this right now.

“I failed you once in caring for your heart Catherine, but never will I fail you again. I swear it by the Gods above and below that I will forever treasure your heart, for it is my greatest gift received.” I nodded and then hugged him to me one last time.

“Now promise me you will be at that altar,” he asked and still holding on to him, I looked out the window, looking up to the clouds and made him a vow I would risk my life to keep.

“I promise you I will be there. I vow nothing in this world would be able to stop me.” I looked up at him and he kissed my forehead, seeming satisfied he got the answer he wanted.

“I love you,” he told me and with my heart and his wings in his hand he turned and left. I held onto the door and just before closing it I told him,

“As I love you, Dominic,”
as my last farewell. The last thing I will take with me as I walk through that fated Janus gate is the smile he gave me before I closed the door and crumbled behind it. Sophia ran from the room and held me against the door as I cried silent sobs, knowing it still wasn’t safe for he might hear me.

“I had to say goodbye.” I told her when I knew it would be safe.

“I know sweetheart, we all did.” And it was only when she said this that I fully understood. It wasn’t just me that must have found this difficult, for I wasn’t the only one saying goodbye to a loved one.

“I’m sorry.” I told her and she gave me a small smile and said,

“Me too.”

I don’t know how long we stayed there on the floor behind that door but the time wasn’t long enough before I had to put back on my mask and play happy bride. Draven could understand my emotional state, putting it down to all we had gone through to get to this point. But to my family, I should be the happiest person in the world right now. And because that was who I was supposed to be, that’s who I
had to be.

But before we greeted everyone in the lobby and got ourselves all together ready for the first leg of the journey I showed Sophia what Draven had given me.

“It’s the key,” she said as astonished as I had been.

“I know.”

“It truly is fated.” I nodded and said,

“He told me the only reason he was giving me this gift now was because of what I did last night when I sang for him.” I told her knowing she was right, it really was fated.

“There is nothing stopping us now,” I added softly and she agreed. And I was right, nothing was stopping us now as the day had finally come and whereas I should have been excited about my wedding, I was just upset that I had to be walking away from it.

My dad was the only man in our group as we travelled out into the country and I laughed when hearing all about Frank and him getting drunk at the bar last night and not remembering anything after a certain point. I knew the guys had obviously pulled the same trick as we had and Pip, Sophia and I had all given each other knowing looks, trying not to laugh. However, there was one person I especially wanted to see and that was Ari, who was late getting down to us. One look at her face and I knew why and also how she felt. It didn’t matter how much makeup you wear or how hot the shower you take, there is no masking a night of crying yourself to sleep.

I mouthed the words ‘you okay?’ but she just shook her head as if to say not now, so I let it go. In fact, out of the four of us she looked like the only one who couldn’t wait to leave and I wasn’t talking about our drive to Witley Court.

We all piled into our cars in convoy and because they knew I would want it, Sophia and Pip had arranged for me to travel in the limo with my family. So for the next three hours I spent my time losing myself in family life and loving every second of it. Little Ella singing songs and asking about her dress for the millionth time was the most endearing thing. My mum looking at me and telling me how she couldn’t believe this day was finally here and how proud she was of me. Libby and Frank talking about us all going on a family holiday together after the wedding. Ella getting excited about her dress some more, making us all laugh. The way my mum and dad held hands and the way my sister and Frank did the same.

It was all so beautiful that when I finally got there all my sadness was gone and was replaced with nothing but pride. I was proud of my family for being as supportive and as wonderful as they were. But I was also proud of myself because I knew by doing this I was giving them a chance to continue living that beautiful life. Ella would get to grow up and live a full life, one day getting to be a bride and walking down the aisle in a beautiful dress. And my only hope was that my mother and father would get to see it along with Libby and Frank. And maybe they would say to her, ‘I bet Aunty Kazzy is watching all this from Heaven and she would tell you how beautiful you look’. Yes, that was all I could hope for and it was enough.

We soon arrived at our next hotel where Draven and I would, at some point, be spending our wedding night. Brockencote Hall was near a place called Kidderminster and not far from Witley Court.
It was a beautiful white Victorian mansion down a leafy lane and when we pulled up, my family all gasped at how stunning not only the building itself was but also the grounds. This was where we were all to get ready and as far as I knew Draven was somewhere inside, getting all suited and booted ready for the ceremony.

However Sophia, Pip, Ari and I all had a different plan and one that involved us getting to the venue early so no one would see us entering the fountain’s secret doorway.

“Where are you going, dear?” My mum asked and I knew the time had come to lie.

“There are some things that need finalising at the venue, but it’s only half an hour away so I should be back in plenty of time.” My mum was about to argue when Sophia walked up behind me and said,

“It should be fine, dare I let my brother’s bride turn up late to her own wedding?” My mother laughed, obviously feeling better now she knew Sophia was coming with me.

“Alright love, but try not to be too long.”

“Okay mum, you guys relax a bit and then start getting ready, I think Dra, I mean Dominic has ordered you guys some bucks fizz.” My mum made a face as if saying she had drunk quite enough last night and my father laughed.

“You girls go and leave your mother to me,” he told me kissing me on the cheek.

“Thanks Dad.” Then I kissed my mum and Libby and Ella too, trying not to make too much of a show at saying goodbye.

“Take care of mum.” I whispered to Libby and was glad she took it how I wanted her to and not how I actually meant it, her thinking it was just for the next few hours, not the lifetime she had left.

Ari and Pip were still in the car and only RJ and Hilary had got out to join the rest of them. My Aunty, Hilary’s mum, was no doubt already inside waiting for us all. This got me thinking about people and the only person I hadn’t seen yet was Ranka. No wonder I hadn’t thought about her considering I hadn’t even spoken to her, but as one of Draven’s close council members it did get me thinking about where she was. So I asked Sophia as soon as I got in the car.

“She will meet us there.” This surprised me considering we hadn’t included her in any of the details…or had we? And when I say we I actually meant Sophia.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I have instructed her to guard the gate once we are through in case something insane happens, like my brother finding out and trying to follow us in there to get you back.” I hadn’t really thought about it that way .

“You think that’s a possibility?”

“I think we can’t take anything for granted or assume anything will or will not happen. Either way he will need a sound mind to both calm him down and at least persuade him to try and act rationally. That or we get her to pretend to be you and stall the wedding if we are not back in time.” Okay I really didn’t like the sound of that last one.

“She could do that?!” I shrieked.

“Yes but I wouldn’t worry, it’s not like she would do.”

“And we know that with a certainty do we?” I asked sarcastically.

“She is loyal first to the Fates and then my brother, so no I don’t believe she would do this…not unless she had to.” Again I wasn’t convinced and my look screamed this.

“How do we know that this isn’t just some scheme to get us out of the way, so then she can swoop right in there and play me, fooling him for the rest of his life?” Sophia took a deep breath and said,

“Because she knows that you are the prophecy and without you to fulfil it the ‘rest of his life’ you speak of wouldn’t actually be that long. Not only that, the Oracle can’t lie and you know for yourself, as we all do, what she has foretold from her own lips.” Well I guessed this part was true.

“Ranka knows this and doesn’t wish to risk his life, let alone the world she has sworn to protect, just for a night with my brother…who by the way, isn’t a fool and who knows you very well…well enough to know the difference from just one conversation with you.” Okay so she had a lot of massive points with this little speech and it hit its mark in making me feel better.

“Alright, so what you’re saying is, she is on our side?”

“Yes, that’s what I am saying.”

For the rest of the way to Witley Court our conversation was mainly focused on the wild night Pip had with Adam, telling us both that we had been right. Well I wasn’t about to tell her that I asked him to show his wife an especially good time for the rest of the night because she was feeling left out. But I was happy that both Sophia and Pip’s last nights with their husbands were fulfilling and memorable. Although with poor Ari I couldn’t tell what was going on in that mind of hers as only her eyes gave her away.

I’d tried once again to get something out of her but she was locked up tight. She told me not to worry and that she just needed space and time, two things she would most definitely get on this trip. In fact, out of us all, she seemed to be looking forward to this the most but this wasn’t surprising all things considered, not when we were all leaving behind men we loved. And Ari and Vincent, well right now I didn’t know what they were but after last night, I gathered annoyance played a bigger part than anything else.