Strange Love 106 Fate Of The Future

Orion gazed out over the spa.r.s.ely lit parking lot of the small roadside hotel. Even at such a late, or rather early, hour the nearby interstate was still buzzing with traffic. His eyes scanned the grounds until finally settling on the pool setting center the parking lot. He walked over and leaned against the rusted white railing that surrounded it. "What ya got going on now?" He asked as he watched Raven first whisper a chant into the soft, brightly colored petals of a flower then place it into the pool with several other flowers.

Raven sighed lifting the bowl of water she'd scooped out of the bathtub earlier and gazing down into it. "Trying one more spell before my powers are completely drained." She answered but then glanced over at him. "How are you feeling? Have you recharged yet?" She asked with a spark of hope.

Orion shrugged, "That depends... What kind of spell are you trying this time?"

Her brows tented in worry as she gazed out over the pool. "I'm trying my luck at scrying. It's never been my strong point, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try." Her worried eyes met his. "I fear going forward without some hint of what's in store. Even if Isha can get back on the council in time, what's to say they will be lenient on her a second time."

Orion shrugged. "Ture enough, but you know running isn't going to be a viable option either. If we disobey, our father can control us easier than you were able to earlier." He pushed the gate open and walked over beside her. Sitting down he let out a low sigh. "Plus, you know good and well as soon as running isn't something Jos will want... Once she hears..."

Raven nodded a sad nod. "Yes, I know... That's what I hope to find out though what the judgements against her will be so we know what to work around. I agree having her mother would help if she gave us her support but I'm not entirely sure she will. If I can catch even the slightest glimpse..."

Orion nodded and pulled the shirt he'd barrowed from Arei over his head. He asked as he set the shirt to the side. "Will you need my pants off too? If so I do apologize in advance, I... would be left indisposed." A faint blush colored his cheeks only slightly hidden by the light stubble.

Raven's worried expression lightened for a brief second until turning serious again. "It should be fine as long as you can roll up your sweats and stand in the water." She pointed to the stairs leading into the water. "It would help if your brother was here too, but I should be able to do it with just you."

Orion nodded. "Good, I'm not sure if he's in the best spirits to have around magic right now." He nodded to the second hotel room farther down the long building front. "I'm sure you didn't miss our little lover sneaking off earlier."

Raven chuckled, "I did not!" She shook her head. "Leave it to Russ to want makeup s.e.x directly after a life threatening incident."

Orion laughed, "Reasonably so, it was very heart warming a touching... until they started touching of course..." He shrugged. "Arei wont admit it, but believe he'd hoped there would have been more time for him to try winning her back."

Raven let out an indignant grunt. "Maybe he should have thought of that 500 years ago. I saw the train wreck left behind, and I promise you, had he came back and explained things..." She looked him over. "You have to admit it was a jacked up situation. I'd not been able to tell the two of you apart back then. h.e.l.l had you both shown up in the bar at the same time that day, I wouldn't have been able to guess which was which then."

Orion nodded. "We should have told her, but..." His words trailed off and he scrunched his brows looking out over the waters of the pool. "Things became complicated."

Raven nodded, "I could imagine." She turned her attention back to the bowl in her hands. "Ready to start this?" She asked.

Orion pushed himself up from the pool and walked over to the steps but paused when the hotel room door opened. "Well looks like Arei will be joining anyways." He watched his brother walk toward the pool, instead of opening the gate he simply jumped over the top.

"Having fun without me?" He asked as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto Orion's. "Where do ya need me?" He asked glancing over the pool before meeting and holding Raven's surprised eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" Orion asked. "negative or unsettled emotions can affect the spell, you know."

Arei frowned giving his brother a 'go to h.e.l.l' look. "I told you, I'm fine." He turned back to Raven and smiled down at her. "I have to admit, I'm curious to see what else our resident fairy has up her sleeves."

Raven rolled her eyes, "If you could balance over there on that ladder opposite Orion." She pointed to the small ladder coming up out of the deep end of the pool.Once he was in place she turned her focus back to the bowl in her hand. She began her chant again then dumped the bowl into the pool. As the contents mixed the water began to radiate the same vibrant blue coloring as the sigil for the first spell. The water rose and crept up both Orion and Arei's legs until it was churning around them from waste down. The same tattoos began imitating light and their eyes opened reviling brilliant rays of aqua blue light. Their arms extended out opening their palms toward each other and the waters of the pool rose and swirled between them.

Raven continued her low chant as she removed a flower from the spiraling waters. She held it out away from her body as a stunning violet flame emitting from palm lit the flower and burned the petals. As the ashes of the petal caught in the water an image began to form. It was court and Jos was in shackles before the council. She let out a heavy, relieved sigh as she recognized Isha as one of the members, but frowned when she noticed the standing members, the judges, were that vampires, the G.o.ds, AND the human represenitive. A dark hooded figure restraining Russ who was fighting against him in the back of the room. One of the two twins was by Jos's side arguing vehimidly against the rule of the courts. She scrunched her eyes to try and identify which it was but all identifying characteristics were masked. She recognized herself and Sh.e.l.ly, still in wolf form, in the audience helplessly watching.The images began to fade and Raven retrieved a second flower. As the petals burnt under the same violet flames and merged with the swirling screen of water, a second image materialized. Jos was sitting on the edge of a beautiful lagoon a gentle waterfall cascading down into the crystal clear waters beside her, but prison bars kept flickering in front of the image.

Not waiting this time for the image to fade, Raven plucked another flower from the water and lit it. Two sets of shoulders materialized one wide shoulders with long braided blonde hair wearing an intricately designed tribal outfit trimmed in a crisp cream and embroidered in an elegant golden design, the other was a smaller blurred figure also in elegant attire, but completely masked from recognition. Russ stood above his people addressing them. In the front for the crowd facing Raven she could make out Sh.e.l.ly in human form holding a baby. Her breath caught and tears streamed down her face.

She quickly pulled the other flower this time a red rose and as it's petals burnt and the last image appeared her head tilted. Her gaze moved from the image to Arei in shock. She swallowed past the lump in the back of her throat and turned back to the image. It was the clearest of the readings, a sign of a definite fate. One that could not be changed by any event that was to come. Her eye burned with hot, unshed tears. She said the final phrase to end the spell and collapsed onto her bottom at the edge of the pool. She watched as Orion and Arei regained their composure. Her eyes kept flickering back to Arei.

"Well?" Orion asked as he and Arei made their way back to her side. He furrowed his brows as he noted the strange looks she kept sending his brother.

Raven cleared her throat. She turned her focus onto the calm pool waters. "Though some bits were unclear, it worked well enough." She let out a heavy sigh. "Whether Calypso will be of help or not is unclear. I didn't see her at the trail, and there will be a trail with at least three accusing parties: vampire, G.o.ds, and human." Her eyes move back and forth between the brothers but linger on Arei. She'll be imprisoned on an island with one of you, maybe both like before. It seemed like the old lagoon she lived in may years ago." Shaking her head scrunched her forehead as she tried to work out next part. "I'm not entirely sure, but I believe she will some how be involved in Russ's coronation. But I was unable to see in what regard the body beside him didn't quite meet her size and shape..." She shook her head in confusion. "Sh.e.l.ly..." Tears ran down her face as a warm smile spread across her lips but then faded and she gazed back at Arei. The pain and confusion radiated from her eyes. "I saw Russ's death... He was much older but I can't be sure exactly how old. Jos was by his side weeping still exactly the same. I couldn't tell what their relationship had been or what had cause his death... but YOU where there." Her last words held a fragment of accusation.

Reading her expression clearly, Arei held his hands up in surrender. "I hold no ill intent toward the boy. I promise you that! I would never do anything that would hurt Jos..." He let out a gruff sigh, "And trust me after what I heard tonight, that would devastate her." He shrugged, "They seem to truly love each other and I'm happy for her. It's about time she found some joy in this otherwise cold world." Sadness flickered across his expression, "Do I wish it could have been with me, yes, but that's my fault not the boy's. I'm the one who should have made better choices all those years ago. I shouldn't have walked away, shouldn't have given in to her wishes, and instead stood and fought for what I wanted... I should have fought for her, then..." He sat down on the edge of one of the lounge chairs and twisted his shirt in his hands as he gazed blankly down at it.

Orion clasped Arei's shoulder tightly, "You can't change the past, but we can make sure the future is better." He glanced up at the dark sky. The horizon had began to slightly lighten, hinting at the oncoming dawn. "Unless we want to repeat the tub spell from last night, I suggest we get going soon." He bent and retrieved the other shirt and pulled it over to his head as he made his way to the gate. "I'll go wake our love birds if you guys want to gather everything from the other room.

Arei nodded, "I'll set Jos's bag outside the other room so she can have a change of clothes." He pushed himself up and reached a hand down to Raven. "Want a hand up? You must be tired after all this."

She nodded, "The last time I used this much magic it was the day I used a portal to get Russ and Sh.e.l.ly to safety after the attack. I just hope it wasn't just delaying the inevitable."

Arei paused, hooking a long finger under her chin and turning her sad worried eyes up to his. "The boy is a werewolf of a long pure bloodline. He could have had a long, happy life. There is no way to tell exactly how old his will be or if that was even a sealed fate. Don't stress yourself over just yet. I promise you Ry and I both will do every thing we can to see the both of them safe for hundreds of years to come, but remember this, the boy is only a wolf. His life is not immortal. There will come a day you and Jos both will have to say good bye... to the wolf girl as well..." He let his hand drop away from her face turning he watched as Orion made his way slowly to the other room. "Ry really likes the boy and isn't going to give up on him so easily. He'll make him a formidable fighter. The boy's won his favor so I doubt Ry would ever intentionally let something happen to him. You shouldn't worry too much."