Pawliday Love

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

LIDEY

T he Ritual

The tree stood tall, taller than any others growing near the pond. I looked around, my eyes focusing in the dark. I had to get to the tree without others noticing. If the coven knew I was gone, they would suspect that I was meeting up with Si. My father was no longer satisfied with a hex after returning home three weeks ago he went mad screaming at both my mother and I. He told me if he ever caught me with Silas he would kill Si on sight.

We had been careful the last three weeks. I would sneak out and meet Silas by the ash tree almost every night, careful to always return home long before the sun rose. But now tonight was the night of the full moon. It was our night.

I ran across the open land, my heart hammering in my chest. The tree grew closer with every step I took. I extended her arms, reaching for the trunk when a hand snatched her hood and yanked her back.

I let out a yelp and no sooner had the noise left my mouth than a hand covered it.

“Do not make a move, or it will be the last one,” His voice purred against my ear.

He pushed me, and my back was flush against the tree, my breath ragged as I stared back at him.

He touched her throat, and a malicious grin crawled over his mouth.

“Hello, Lidey,” he said.

I looked up at him, and after a moment, a matching grin covered her face.

“Hello, Si.”

Si chuckled and yanked me into his arms, covering my mouth with his.

He held me and looked down. “Did anyone see you?”

“I don’t think so,” I replied, gazing up at him.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” I nodded and turned to the tree.

Si looked at me as we placed our palms against the tree trunk. The bark was rough against my skin.

“We have to say it at the same time.” He reminded me.

“Alright.” I smiled at him; his jade eyes gleamed in the moonlight, and he took my breath away.

“With this tree, our lives shall be bound to one another. Love is our strongest bond, a pull between time, life, and death. In all the realms, those who love and are bound as one will conquer and break through the barriers,” they both said the words in uniform perfection.

“Is that it?” I asked.

“We will hold on to each other and pass onto the next realm as we lay beneath the sacred ash tree,” Si explained. “This will ensure that we will always be together.”

“For eternity.” I smiled as I took his hand.

“You and I will always be together; if someone separates us, I have ensured that the other realms reconnect us.”

“I am ready,” I said.

“Soon.” he nodded and took her hand. He touched her cheek and whispered, “I was made to be yours.”

“And I for you,”

“I fear nothing as long as my soul finds yours.”

I touched his cheek. “We will be together.”

“Even after death,” he said.

I smiled and kissed him. “Even after death.”

“There they are! I knew it! They are together!” my father shouted.

“Si,” I said, panic riveting over me as I saw my coven heading toward us, all carrying torches.

Si pulled me closer to him and said, “Run. Run as fast as you can through the water.”

“What about you?” I asked, looking up at him.

He grabbed my face. “Go, my love. I will be fine. I need to know you are safe. Now run!” he shouted, pushing me toward the pond.

“Si, I can’t leave you.”

“Go, Lidey, now!” he shouted.

He shook his head and grabbed my face when I did not move.

“I will find you. We will be together again. No matter what, I will find you.”

“We didn’t complete the ritual,” I whimpered in fear.

“It will work,” he said, pulling my mouth to his, kissing like it was the last.

“I love you,” he said.

“Silas, I love you,” I cried.

“Hurry, I see them both by the water.” my father hollered, and the torches grew closer.

“Go baby, please,” he begged.

I hesitated, looked back at the torches, and jumped into the shallow pond, wading through to get to the other side.

SILAS

I turned and faced the coven, which grew closer, the light from their torches bright. I knelt and lowered my hands into the soil by the tree. I closed my eyes and recited the words over and over.

“Animas ligatus apud amare enim aeternitas Lidey, Animas ligatus apud amare enim aeternitas Lidey, Animas ligatusapud amare enim aeternitas Lidey.”

I turned, jumped into the pond, and ran in the direction Lidey had gone.

I marched across as fast as I could and climbed up the bank. The torches were just a little behind.

“Lidey!” I said in a loud whisper.

“Lidey, please, baby, come out,” I called to her.

I ran around searching in bushes behind trees, looking everywhere. I saw the lights ahead and thought it was the rest of Lidey's coven. Lidey may have made it back to them; maybe we could talk sense into her mother while her father was gone.

I would have to risk it and look for her. Even if the coven refused to accept our marriage and threatened my life, I had to find her.

“Come on, men. He can’t be far!” the men hollered.

I looked at them and started running toward what he hoped was Lidey.

He stopped running when he could not breathe anymore and fell to his knees, looking ahead; the lights were close, and he was almost there.

I inhaled, ran the rest of the way, and came upon the lights. My stomach dropped when I saw it was not the coven but my people.

People I had not seen since the night before my parent's death. People I had been running from for so many reasons. One of which being Riana. She was relentless in wanting to marry me.

“Well, hello, Si.” the black-haired lady sneered.

“Where is she?” I asked, but I already knew, from how Riana was beaming, that she had Lidey.

Her heart and pride were wounded by my refusal to marry her.

“Oh, she is here,” Riana said.

“Let me see her,” I demanded.

A moment later, they led Lidey over. A cloth was tied around her mouth, and her face was wet from the tears she shed in fear.

I could feel her fear, and it tore me to pieces.

“Oh baby,” I whispered, looking into her eyes.

Lidey shook her head as fresh tears collected in her emerald eyes.

“What will it be, Si? Be with me, and Lidey lives. Stay with her, and you both die.” Riana said.

I looked at Riana. “I’m sorry you are angry with me, but I don’t love you.”

Riana tilted her head and grabbed Lidey by her hair, yanking on it.

“Oh no, but don’t you love this?” she screamed, pulling on Lidey and making her yelp.

“Stop it., Leave her alone.”

Riana looked at me and then moved closer to Lidey, “Her heart is beating so fast. I think she knows she is going to die.”

“No.” I hollered.

The men with torches surrounded them now, all watching Riana.

“Then let us wed tonight, here in front of everyone,” Riana said.

I looked at Lidey and knew what he had to do.

“Alright.” I agreed.

“No!” Lidey shouted through the cloth in her mouth, shaking her head.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Riana said, turning to Lidey, “I guess your love isn’t eternal after all.”

“Let her go. It has nothing to do with this anymore.” I said.

Riana nodded, “Very well.”

She pushed Lidey forward, making her stumble.

I glared at Riana and bent down to help Lidey, his eyes connecting with hers.

“I finished the ritual,” I whispered.

Lidey looked at me, and a slight grin appeared across her gagged mouth.

“Second thought, keep her here just in case.” Riana snickered.

“Riana, what are you doing? We have them. Let us be done with it.” her father said, glaring at me.

Riana looked at her father. “No, he has agreed to marry me.”

“Daughter, do you want witches’ blood in your children’s veins?”

“There are ways around that,” Riana replied. “I want Si,” she said, her eyes moving over me.

She lowered herself to her knee and placed her hand on my cheek.

"His dark hair and long curls will look wonderful on our daughter, and his green eyes sparkle like two gems. Gifts I am sure all our children will acquire."

“Well, we don’t need her.” Riana’s brother said as he grabbed Lidey and pulled her to her feet. He looked her up and down and grinned. “Maybe I will take her into my tent tonight.”

“No!” I shouted, springing to my feet.

Riana looked at me and said, “Why do you care? You will be in your marriage bed tonight with me.”

I inhaled and nodded. “You’re right.”

Riana smiled. “Let us do it then.” She paused and said, “Second thought, you know what, brother, you are right.” I looked at Si. “Just to be sure you understand your commitment, I think I will let my brother use her as a plaything, and you will watch.”

“What? Riana, stop this. I agreed to marry you. Let her go,” I begged.

“Brother, bring her into my tent,” Riana ordered, walking away.

I chased after her, trying to balance between appearing to want to marry her and not caring for Lidey but enough to get Lidey set free.

“Stop this!” I hollered and looked at Lidey, who was crying again.

Riana stood on the side of the tent as her brother tossed Lidey on the stack of cotton and furs. He laid his body over hers and began kissing her.

“No, no, no,” Lidey squirmed underneath his massive weight.

I stood motionless and watched in horror, knowing there was nothing I could do, and then I saw it, the blade sticking out from Riana’s brother’s boot.

I glanced at Riana, who was grinning, watching her brother molest Lidey. Riana's face filled with twisted pleasure.

I lunged forward, grabbed the knife, and, in one swift motion, whipped the blade across Riana’s brother’s throat, slicing the skin open. Blood spurted out, spraying in wayward directions until his body fell to the floor. I pointed the blade at Riana.

“Don’t move,” I hissed.

“You are a fool,” she screamed as she looked down at her brother's body in horror.

“Lidey, baby, get up. We have to make a run for it,”

“Kill her, Silas,” Lidey said as she stood beside me.

“He would never.” Riana hissed.

“It’s the only way we will get out of here, the only way we will ever be free,” Lidey said.

I stepped forward as Riana dodged me, running out of the tent and screaming.

“Come on.” I grabbed Lidey’s hand and crept out of the back of the tent.

“This way,” I whispered as they crawled through the dark.

The camp was in a frenzy as the shouting progressed.

“Hurry, they will be on to us in no time,” I said, grabbing Lidey’s hand, and we ran, making our way out of the camp and into a grove of trees.

“Come on, if we follow this all the way through, we will be back by the ash tree,” I said.

“Then what?” Lidey asked.

I grabbed her hand and said, “We have to leave. Catch a ship somewhere.”

“As long as we are together.” Lidey nodded.

“Yes, baby,” I said, kissing her. “Hurry, we need to run; they will catch us if we don’t.”

We ran through the grove and made it to the bank. Now, the water stood between us and the ash tree.

“Alright, we need to run for it. Once we reach it, they cannot cross; it’s the coven’s land.”

“But my coven, they will kill you?” Lidey cried.

“It is the only option right now,” I replied.

She nodded, and then we both turned to the sound of shouting, which was growing closer and closing in on us.

“Come on,” I said, taking her hand and climbing down the bank. We ran across the spring until we were in the middle and swam across the deepest area until we were on the other side. The ash tree was so close. We were almost there.

As we reached the tree, Lidey crossed over into the land of the coven, but I stayed back.

She turned and looked at me.

“What are you doing?”

Her eyes widened as I remained a few steps away from her, just yards away from the ash tree.

I smiled and said, “I love you.”

“Silas, get over here.” Lidey said, “They are coming. Hurry.”

“I can’t, you know I can’t,” I said.

She was correct; her coven would kill me and, worse yet, punish her. I could not do that to her. She would be tortured if they found us together. Her father promised as much.

“What? So you tricked me?” she asked.

“Baby, I need you to be safe,” I said. "You've known that since we met. All I care about is your safety".

“No, I won’t stay here.” Lidey cried.

“Yes, you will,” I argued, persistently.

“Grab him,” Riana screamed as she, her father, and a few others approached me. I stood just outside the line of the coven. All I had to do was cross over and be stage from her, but then Lidey would be at risk.

Two strong hands wrapped around my arms and yanked me back, father from Lies and the safety the ash tree provided/

“Let him go,” Lidey screamed.

Riana glared at her. “One day, you will cross that line, and I will tear your heart out.” she turned to me and said, “As you have done to me.”

“You have to possess a heart to have it torn out,” I hissed, glaring at her.

Riana narrowed her eyes, then a devious grin crawled over her face.

“Then again, I guess puncturing a heart is just as good as tearing it out, right?”

“What?” I asked, and before I could move, Riana grabbed a spear from the man standing beside her.

She turned and heaved it across the coven line; the weapon punctured Lidey's chest, sending her body backward.

“No!” I screamed. “My God, no,” I yanked my arms free, but two more men tackled me, dragging me back.

“Tie him to the tree so he has to watch her die,” Riana said.

I looked at Lidey, her body on the ground, the spear sticking out from her chest.

“Lidey,” I called out in agony.

She turned her head as blood gurgled up her throat and out her mouth. Her eyes darted, searching as the sun crawled up in the sky, illuminating the morning and shining down on Lidey’s body.

“Lidey, oh baby,” I cried in agony.

After tying me to the tree, the men walked away, and Riana knelt before me and said, “I will be back for you in an hour. Give you some time to grieve before I make you my slave.”

She moved her finger over my chest and smiled. “The things I will make you do to me.”

She grinned, kissed me, and walked away laughing.

Lidey raised her hand and yanked the spear from her chest. She rolled to the side, crawling toward me.

“Baby, don’t move.” I sobbed.

Blood dripped from her mouth, leaving a trail as she made her way to me.

She grabbed my leg and said, “Silas.”

I wrapped my hands around her arms and pulled her onto my lap.

I held her close and smoothed the hair off her face.

“Baby.” I cried, “I love you.”

The pain in my chest was heavy and weighed down on me like a weight crying through my lungs.

Lidey smiled and gurgled, “Love you.”

“Baby.” I cried. "We will be together for all of eternity. I made sure of it. I will never be without you."

"Never." she smiled and raised her hand to my face.

I nodded. "We will be together even after this life."

Lidey smiled, and her arm fell as her eyelids fluttered and closed. Her body went limp, and I no longer felt her heartbeat. He no longer felt her emotions as he had been able to when I was alive.

I tipped my head back and screamed into the air, my guts seared with a flaming pain that spread through me like hot molten lava. My breath was short, and the world fell away; a fogginess overtook me.

I placed my mouth to hers and whispered, “I will find you. When my soul leaves this body, I will find you. We are to be together for eternity.”

I placed my hand over her heart and began chanting, “Animas ligatus apud amare enim aeternitas Lidey, Animas ligatusapud amare enim aeternitas Lidey, Animas ligatus apud amare enim aeternitas Lidey”

“I knew it,” Lidey's father shouted. I looked up and met his eyes. He and other members of the coven stood easier under the ash tree, staring at Lidey and me.

“I knew you would be the death of her.”

I turned my eyes from his, looked down at Lidey, and placed a kiss against her mouth. "Baby," I whimpered, my hand tumbled as I grazed her face.

I looked up as a spear pierced my chest. My head went back, and I coughed, blood pooling out of my mouth.

I looked down at Lidey and choked, “I am coming, baby. I will find you.”

It is said that through the power of the ash tree, Si and Lidey created a warp in the universe, binding their souls together for eternity and scattering them across all parallels, regardless of the body they inhabit.

Read how the love of Lidey and Silas continues through Amara and Oliver in Even After and Adeline and Nick in The Alternate Husband.

Kathleen Lacie was born on March 9, 1979. She grew up in a small town near Chicago with her parents, two brothers, and two sisters. Being the middle child, she had to find ways to comfort herself. Her family had a lot of ups and downs, and writing became her solace at a very early age. She started writing bedtime stories for her sister, Elizabeth. Soon, she realized that she loved to write about romance. Even as a young child, she was fascinated by shows like Dynasty, Dallas, and Guiding Light. She would often have her Barbie dolls act out scenes from the TV. shows. At around eleven, she discovered Patrick Swayze in the miniseries North and South, and that is when her love for men and writing about regency really kicked in. She loved to write and would dress up and make movies about her writing with her best friend, Summer, and her little sister, Elizabeth.