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Sidney was being dragged through the forest and the twigs were scratching her bare arms. She was blind folded and therefore couldn't see exactly where she was being taken. Her hands were tied behind her back which made it impossible to be balanced and she stumbled many a time. Some rough hand was on her arm and that was what was pulling her.
She tried to concentrate on her surrounding but fear overwhelmed every sense in her. She could only imagine the many reasons why she would be kidnapped. She had got herself in trouble again and where was Victor? She wondered. If he hadn't gotten to her by now then he must not know where she was. That thought renewed the dread that she felt already.
Then she fell flat on her face. Instinctively she tried to reach for her abdomen forgetting that her hands were tied to her back. She tugged hard and could feel the flesh cut. The rough hand came and picked her up but before she was comfortable they were moving again. Her baby! She thought worriedly.
She could feel the terrain changing as where she was walking was full of stones. And then they were shielded from the cold outside. She knew they must be in some kind of shelter. There were a few footsteps moving about then she was shoved down and she sat down hard on a rock. Her blindfold was removed from her face violently.
She squinted because of the bright light then her eyes started to adjust and she could see the hazy figures. There was one in particular who was standing very close with his face watching her intently waiting for something. It took her a few more minutes to recognize her abductor.
`James,' she cried.
`Nice to see you too. Tell me, how was your journey,' he said with a feigned attempt at courtesy. `I hope my men treated you the way they ought to treat a royalty.' He leaned closer still to her face, `because that's what you are these days, isn't it?'
`Why did you kidnap me?'
`Why?' He pulled back and looked at her with disappointment. `Why do you always want to break my heart, Sidney? You know I love you, don't you?'
`You are mad.'
`Yes, that's true. I love you so much that it's driving me insane.' There was no response from her. `Don't you love me too?'
`Like I told you so many times before, I don't love you.'
James appeared thoughtful for a moment. `But you loved me before and you can love me again.'
`No, I never loved you. You were just something to help pass time.'
`Really?' he asked eerily calm. Sidney was suddenly more worried and she was right because when James hit her, the slap sent her flying on the ground. `You were passing time until you found a royalty, uh?' He picked her up and hit her again and watched as she tried to crawl away. Then as if realizing something that he had forgotten, he picked her up and put her to sit down. `I'm sorry, I thought- I wanted,' he stammered as his eyes seemed to beg her.
She looked away from him. `You won't get away with this.'
`What do you mean by that, honey?'
`You think you can get away with kidnapping me. You are wrong. Gorham will search until the ends of the earth until he finds me.'
`You mean the king? Well, I'm not going to keep you forever, you will come back to me because I am the one you belong to.'
Sidney turned to him trying to decipher his intentions but couldn't, `How do you expect to do that? Keep me against my free will until I change my mind?'
`No,' he stood up and walked a few feet in front of her then turned and faced her. `A king like him wouldn't condone having someone else’s child. So, you are going to have my child. And he is going to leave you.' He smiled as if he had solved the puzzle as to why people are prone to sleep at night instead of during the day.
`James, let me explain this clearly to you. Gorham loves me and I love him. However you think that I'm even going to end up with you... the idea itself is appalling.'
`What you are saying is that you will never love me?' again with the calm tone.
Sidney should have learned from the last time but she went on defiantly, `No, I never will.'
Jared turned to the other men who were in the room. There were four of them. He headed straight to one who was carrying a sword. `Pack up our things boys. We are leaving.' he unsheathed the sword and went back to Sidney. `Our business here is done.' He was going to strike Sidney in the neck but she shouted involuntarily.
`Stop.' James stared at her. `You don't want to kill me.'
James thought about it. `There's nothing I can hope for if I keep your life.' He held the sword up again.
`I'm expecting a child, Jared.'
`What?' the sword lowered a few inches.
`I am pregnant,' she watched him. `I'm going to be a mother, Jared.' She could tell he was softening up. `My child is going to have your eyes and your laugh.'
The sword lowered further but then he wielded it higher. `But it won't be mine!' He brought the sword down hard and Sidney closed her eyes knowing that this was the end. `What- how-' she heard the stammer. She opened her eyes wondering if death did come to her without pain. She instead saw a flabbergasted Jared moving slowly away from her. It took her a moment longer to realize that there was something colorless but shimmering around her. She looked at the necklace and saw it glowing.
It wasn't supposed to do that unless she was either around Gorham or Nathan. She looked around but couldn't see anyone. She was sure though that there was someone around. James and his men started running to the cave entrance but a large fire suddenly blocked their path. It turned into a man's figure and looked around the cave. It stopped at Sidney who was still sitting on a rock. It moved suddenly to her as it left behind a wall forming of fallen rocks. James and his men were trapped along with her.
The fire figure reformed before her and her shield disappeared. It leaned down to her and she thought she was going to burn but she didn't feel the heat. Her hands became free and she looked up in surprise at it. The figured moved a step back waiting for her to get up then held its hand out to her. She was a bit unsure but she handed it her hand. It was nothing but it felt so familiar to her. She could have sworn that she saw it smile but she was suddenly cover with fire and she didn't know what happened next except that she appeared in front of Victor, Jared and a couple of more people. A tree behind her was ablaze and there were some people running towards her and started pulling her away. `What- how,' she pointed to the tree and then looked around in shock. Her eyes settled on Victor, `Did you have anything to do with this?'
`No, but I'm glad you are okay.'
Jared took over, `How are you feeling? Are you fine?' he was asking but Victor stopped him.
`I think you should be more concerned with Gorham.'
As if jolted from a sleep he suddenly mounted his horse and was riding towards the house.
Sidney was worried, `What has happened to Gorham?'
`Nothing, but I should get going. I have important business to attend to.' He started walking away.
`Victor!' she called him back. Her voice giving away the strain of the night.
The former went back to her and hugged her. `I really have to go. Wendy needs me back.' he whispered in her ear.
`But I need you too.'
`No you don't. You have someone who is more that capable of taking care of you. Be happy. That's all I ask.' He kissed her cheek and then turned to his horse. She didn't call him back. She watched in sadness as the darkness enveloped him.
`Miss Storm,' someone called from behind. `We have to take you to safety.' She wiped the tears away and followed the guard. She was helped onto one horse and there were guards escorting her from all sides. The streets cleared as the entourage passed and the people could see that something had happened to Sidney. The guards seemed as though they were about to kill. All the people could do is step out as fast as possible. They stopped outside the house that had been aglow and guards had been guarding.
She was helped down and as she went into the house she could fee
l the dread coming back. The first thing she saw was Jared kneeling over Gorham who was folded on the ground. She ran to him and touched him. His body was burning up with fever.
`I found him like that,' Jared said. He turned to Sidney with a worried face but she was worse than he was. Tears were flowing from her eyes. Why did she let Victor go when he would have known what to do? She asked herself and in doing so she reminded herself that she was also a wizard. She knew what was wrong and she knew what to do.
There was control in her face and she wiped the tears away. She went down on her knees and cradled Gorham's head, `Gorham listen to me,' she started. `You have to use the water element to balance out the fire. Are you listening to me?' she asked but there was no answer. She turned to Jared. `Bring me a trough of water.'
That was quickly fetched and placed before her. `Gorham honey, you have to try.' she caressed his face but there was no reply. She watched the trough anxiously and when at last she saw a drop rise up, she almost shouted in joy. That went back down and a couple of seconds later, more drops began to rise. She was hopeful. He seemed to be getting stronger. She watched as the water flowed from the trough and was traveling towards her. It went up her clothes and appeared near her face and formed a hand over her cheek. `I love you too,' she whispered. She would have stayed like that the rest of the night but she knew the people had to be reassured. She therefore turned to Jared, `He's going to be fine.' He understood the message and went out. That was that. Someone else had to take over officiating the ceremony for today and she would do her role which was encouraging Gorham to do more.