Chapter 5

Caius and Arianna were in a similar situation, as they remained in a prison cell of Warrick’s.

“How could you do this to us? How could you let this happen? You know what they will do to us. They will put us away to our deaths in the hall of souls,” sobbed Arianna.

“No, they won’t. Don’t talk like that. We have seen worse; you must be positive. Be positive for Meridian,” Caius stared at his wife in frustration as her lack of confidence in him.

“How can I be positive? Warrick has it in for you and always has. He warned us years ago that we were pushing it. I know you have always wanted a son and that is why you took that boy so easily. If it was his choice to take his life, then there was nothing that you could have done about it,” Arianna admonished Caius further.

Caius watched Arianna as she sat with her arms crossed and her eyes lowered. Her face was swollen and flushed red from her periods of sobbing. Caius reached for her and was about to speak but he was interrupted.

The door opened breaking the tense silence, and there Chance stood grim and alone.

“Chance, I didn’t think we would be able to see you so soon! Can you tell us anything? What is happening?” Arianna shouted.

“It is not good, not at all. The trial will come quickly, and they will not let you have any visitors. Caius, you have to tell me why Warrick has it in for you so badly. I know that you both have a history, but no one here knows the details, or if they do they are not talking. Maybe if you could just tell me, we could find a way to change Warrick’s mind about you? Let me help you, please.”

“It wouldn’t do any good even if I told you. It’s complicated. He fears me because I know things about him.” Caius said, staring at the floor as his mind drifted back to the memories of why Warrick hated him.

“Ridge...” Arianna’s eyes shot over to Caius. “Ridge, knows, doesn’t he? I know you trust him, Caius. Why else would you use him as a cover to get Meridian out?

Caius let out a long sigh. “Ridge knows where Meridian is, but he doesn’t know every sorted detail about the cold war that exists between Warrick and I.” Caius broke his stare and looked to Arianna.

Chance was antsy as he continued to look out into the hallway of the prison and back to Arianna and Caius. “I don’t care. I have to get out of here right now. I know that they cannot start any trial until all the council members are here, and the other two are gone and will not be back for a while. Once they get here things will move swiftly.”

In an instant the door was shut, and Chance was gone.

The footsteps coming down the hall were quick and moving closer from the opposite direction from where Chance left.

Arianna and Caius waited in anticipation of who it was and worried if Chance made it out safely. The footsteps stopped in front of the door, and a soft whisper audible from the other side was heard right before the door busted open.

“Relic? You need to get out of here; if anyone catches you here, you will be done for,” Caius maintained a low pitch but forceful tone.

“It’s a trap, Relic; there is always a guard. Now, get out of here!” Caius said.

“Is Meridian okay? Arianna asked Relic, while she cut her angry eyes toward her husband.

Relic nodded and looked at Caius who was still upset from his wife’s previous words.

“Caius, I don’t even know who you are anymore. All these secrets that you have kept from me, I feel so betrayed and let down.” she walked over to her husband and struck him. Caius looked up in shock; she had never struck him even in their most intense arguments. She began to sob.

Feeling to blame for his wife’s state of mind, Caius reached to console her.

“Get away from me! Leave me alone! I cannot trust you. I do not even know what Meridian has to do with this, but I know you know, and you never told me.”

Arianna sobbed in her hands. “I am your wife, and this is our child. I don’t understand why you hide things from me.” She wiped her tears roughly with her hand in anger.

“Arianna, please, now isn’t the time.”

Caius took her hand and pleaded with her with his eyes. Despite her anger, she calmed herself and walked to the door.

“Relic, I know you care for our daughter, and I know you came here to assure us she was okay. I need you to get Ridge and have Meridian brought back. Her leaving was a terrible idea. Please do it.” Arianna said.

Relic was unusually quiet and disturbed at what he watched Arianna do. With hesitation, he looked to Caius as if he needed his permission. After Caius collected himself from Arianna’s strike, he nodded to Relic. He quickly turned around without another word and left.

“Now, Caius, you will tell me what is going on and what this has to do with our daughter,” she said.

Caius took a nervous deep breath.

“Okay, but this is a long story. I need you just to let me explain this first before you jump in with anything.”

Arianna walked away from the door and sat next to Caius as she locked her eyes on him.

“Do you remember when we first met? We were kids, special like Meridian to be born here, and had extraordinary gifts. We were friends, playmates; we did not have anyone else but each other. Even then, being just like us, Warrick was our friend. As we got older things changed. I know you noticed, but you never said much, so I never thought it was important. Looking back, I wished I would have told you, but we were so happy I did not want to ruin it. Warrick was never the most sociable one of our small group. For the longest time, he had a crush on you. I always knew it. He knew I knew it. We never spoke about it, not until a few nights before we were to take our vows. He came and told me how angry he was at me for stealing you from him. He said if it were not for me that he could have had you, and you two could have a life together. I knew he liked you, but I did not realize it ran that deeply. Sometime later, after we married, he was given the opportunity to sit with the council and, of course, you know the rest. That is not the problem now, but even after we were married, he spoke to me only if he had to. As you know, he married as well to a guide that came into the realm; Farrah was her name. I ran into Warrick sometime after he married her, and he told me that he only married her because of his position. That the guides here felt better if he had a wife and it was a family head in charge. They had Slaten. When Slaten was still young, Warrick had an affair with another spirit guide.”

Arianna was growing impatient.

“Yes, I know all of that, but I still don’t see what this has to do with Meridian. I knew that Warrick had a crush on me, but I thought it was puppy love. Something that he would grow out of.”

“Well, I am rehashing all of this, so you will understand more. Warrick’s affair landed him Pramlee, who, of course, we know. Only I knew who her mother was. Everyone thinks that the woman Pramlee lives with is her birth mother, but she is not. When Pramlee was born her mother threatened to go to the council and Farrah to tell them everything. Warrick could not handle that. He abused his power and sent her to the hall of souls; he killed her, Arianna. Anyone who suspected things was quickly hushed. He did eventually tell Farrah about the affair. He told her that Pramlee’s mother attacked him, and he had to do what he had to do. He begged Farrah to forgive him. I do not think she really did because later Farrah had an affair with a guide named Talon. Do you remember him?”

Arianna was deep in thought.

“Yes! I do remember him, but he wasn’t here long. The council tried him for abuse of his powers with a human, right? That was recent? I never really knew him. I just heard that he got into some trouble and was cast out.”

“You are right Arianna, but he wasn’t tried for the instance with the human. There was an instance with a human, but that was a cover for Warrick’s real reason to cast him out. Warrick hated Talon, but at the same time, he knew he could not say a whole lot about his wife’s affair with him because of what he had done. She promised to remain quiet if he would allow her to continue her relationship with Talon. Meanwhile, it was agreed that Pramlee should live with one of the servants in town to care for the child. Most people just thought that was the woman with whom Warrick had the affair. Pramlee’s mother came here but was very brief, and Warrick kept her hidden away from the prying eyes of the guides in the realm. Later, Talon was out doing his work on Earth and had taken on looking after a young woman. As you know, as we sit here today, we are forbidden to allow ourselves to be seen. Talon could not resist himself with this woman. He made himself known to her, but she never suspected who he was. She just thought that he was any other human man. From their relationship came a boy. But before the child was born, there was a trial held with the council for Talon’s inappropriate behavior. As you know, he was cast out.”

Caius paused. Listening intently, Arianna was puzzled.

“He was cast out into the hall of souls; he is asleep. Right?”

“That is what Warrick wants you and everyone else here to think. He was cast out all right, but Warrick’s hate just would not let him sit asleep up here with us. He cast him out as a demon. He is on Earth and has turned to the dark side.”

Caius stopped to take the measure of his wife’s response.

“What? How? Why? This is who we have watching over our realm? He is no different than what we see among humans every day. Are you telling me this is our fate?”

Arianna was panicked.

“No, Arianna, I don’t think it is our fate. Farrah is angry at Warrick. This event is still very fresh. Do you remember the day at the hospital when we took Meridian?” Caius asked gently.

Arianna looked puzzled but answered. “Yes, I do. That was the day that Meridian was caught in the nursery.... Oh, my God. No! That cannot be Talon’s son? It is! That is why you were so against her being close to him.”

Now in shock, fear and distraught, Arianna ran over to Caius and held him.

“Now Warrick knows that the boy is born. Farrah knows that the boy has been born and that he is the son of a guide—but not just any son. The child’s name is Aiden, and he is in his last human life. This is going to be his final life, and at the end, whenever that time comes, I am worried for him that either he will never be allowed the choices all humans get when their time comes or he will be a dark one like Talon? I fear what Warrick will do. With Farrah still alive there may be hope. I did not want Meridian being drawn to him because I am afraid with Talon running around he will be close to Aiden, and I do not know what kind of influences Talon would have as a demon to a young boy. And what those influences will do with Meridian watching over him, protecting him. Even if he is of a good heart and demons cannot draw power from his existence, I do not even know what kind of a boy he will be. He is not necessarily a normal human boy. He is a son of a once human man, but a guide. He was conceived from good, but we cannot know what this would do to Meridian. That is why I have behaved the way I have and why I was wanting to see her with Relic. Can you forgive me for what I have done? I just didn’t want to worry you about things,” Caius begged.