CHAPTER SIX-THE RACE TO SAVE ROSEMARY

"I'm coming." Rosemary looked herself over in the mirror and then walked to her door. Everyday she hoped it would be Daniel to knock at her door, but then again, it filled her with anxiety and fear.

Nicholas stood cross armed before her when she answered the door. "You've been home nearly a month, my dear. Don't you think it's time for you to rejoin the world?"

Standing aside to let her father in, Rosemary shut the door behind him and nodded. "I'm just not ready to see all those people yet."

Nicholas sat on the couch by her door and crossed his ankle over his knee. "All those people? You mean your family?"

Rosemary sat beside him and shook her head. "No."

"Daniel?" Nicholas smirked to himself and glanced over at Rosemary.

Rosemary took a deep breath and nodded. "Daniel."

Looking back over her shoulder to her father, she blinked away the tears in her eyes. "Did you know who he was when he came here?"

Curling his lips under, Nicholas nodded slowly and smiled as he glanced away. "As soon as he mentioned you. I could see on his face that he was yours."

"I'm afraid that when he finds out what happened to me," Rosemary shifted uncomfortably and blinked away towards the balcony, "he won't want me anymore. I don't think if I can take the heartbreak. Not now."

"Rosemary, my sweet girl," Nicholas said as he turned her towards him. He wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled her into his embrace. "I don't know how he did it. His coming here the way he did was a miracle. He is a warlock of power like I've never seen. No one is blind to what's happened to you, least of all a man like Daniel."

Rosemary's lips pushed together in a quivering swollen mass as she closed her eyes tight and tried not to fall apart in front of her father. He slid his hands up around her cheeks then kissed her forehead. "Daniel is here in this world because of you. His every waking thought since he stepped foot through the veil between our worlds has been you. He will not abandon you no matter the struggle, this I am certain of."

Pulling her into his side, Nicholas sank back into the soft couch and rested his cheek against the top of her head. "What happened to you is a tragedy, Rosemary, but this is not the end of all things for you, I promise."

Taking her fingers in his hand, Nicholas softly caressed them and took a long breath through his nose. "He is struggling here. You're locking yourself up here and hiding away like a dirty secret, he feeds off your emotions, Rosemary. The deeper you fall into the darkness, so does he. It is time for you both to live and if it cannot be for each other, then it be because of each other."

"I don't know how to do that. I can't even make myself get out of bed most days, how am I supposed to help him?" Rosemary shifted her head against her fathers chest. She could hear his heart beating and the constant, steady rhythm was like a comforting old clock that kept on beating forever, always dependable.

Nicholas hummed to himself as he thought about the things they used to do before she left for Earth. "How about we go out for a long ride? Jarl has missed you and the fresh air and sunshine will serve you well."

A rare grin came from the once ever smiling face and a hint of the girl he once knew came back to Nicholas as she glanced up at his face. "That does sound good."

Nodding towards the door, Nicholas said, "The boys are out policing the south, the whole open meadow is ours."

The walk to the stables was a fond memory for Rosemary. She and Nicholas spent many an afternoon entangled in playful competition as they raced each other across the open space outside the city's protective enchanted gates. Rosemary had never won, but the thrill of the chase was more important anyway.

Although Rosemary was a healer and a gentle soul, her mother was a warrior from a distant land who died defending her children. The spark of her mother lived in Rosemary when she sprinted across the land on her mothers stallion, Jarl.

As she nuzzled the horses dark face along her cheek, Rosemary grinned as all her memories came flooding back of the simple days of her life before Earth. "I'm sorry old man, I've missed you too."

Jarl was at least a thousand years old and a prince among his species. He stood tall and proud and had jet black hair. A fierce warrior among horses, but to Rosemary and the memory of the woman he rode into battle with that lived inside her, Jarl was as gentle as any soft bodied old nanny. Although, deep inside his wise, old horse mind, Jarl hoped that Rosemary would charge him headlong into a good battle.

Mounting their horses, Nicholas sheathed his sword as the stablemen helped Rosemary do the same. She was no warrior, but having eight older brothers had taught her more than any guard training ever could. Strapping the bastard sword to her back, Rosemary instantly felt less powerless and for the first time in weeks, the stiffness in her neck and shoulders relaxed as she rolled the cares away.

Making their way to the woods borders, Nicholas glanced over to Rosemary. "I might even let you win this time."

A smile so big that her cheeks reminded him of two bright red apples came to Rosemary's face. In the twenty-five years she'd been alive, she'd never beaten her father. "You always say that."

Nicholas shrugged his shoulders as his eyes traveled up to the clearing that they were approaching. "I meant it then and I still do. Only you decide when that happens."

They readied their horses at the starting line that separated the lush forest from the grasslands and glanced at each other. As Nicholas raised his pointy black brow, he nodded and the race was on.

As the fresh air and sunshine swept over her face and through her hair, Rosemary could feel the darkness lifting from her chest and mind. Her auburn locks whipped behind her like a banner in the wind and the air of excitement filled her lungs.

Exiting the forest to the South after their patrol, Daniel and the brothers came upon Rosemary and Nicholas racing in the distance by the creek that sectioned the meadow.

Laughing out loud seeing Rosemary and Jarl gaining on their father, Agamori said, "Well look at that. I believe she may beat him this time."

As Rosemary's heart beating and the rush of her adrenaline encircled him, Daniel's hands trembled and his body followed along. The bond between them left him unable to control himself and was the best kind of magic. He felt her in his soul and as she giggled out into the distance between them, Daniel knew joy for maybe the first time in his life.

Watching them beat across the meadow, neck in neck, the fair haired Uzzi yelled out to them. "Show him no mercy, Rosemary."

While her hair waved in the wind, the direction it flowed in drew Mage's attention. His pushed his dark hair of his shoulder as his eyes widened. Pointing to the hillside beyond the creek, Mage noticed a squadron of goblins appear from the peak. "Over there!"

As panic and devastation washed over him, Daniel heeled his horse and rode the stallion hard towards the unsuspecting father and daughter as the brothers followed along behind him.

Sensing the oncoming threat, Jarl stopped abruptly and reared back on his hind legs as the veteran horse readied for the long craved-for clash.

As Nicholas noticed Jarl's sudden disappearance from his side, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the goblin herd nearing. "Rosemary, ride for the woods now!"

Rosemary tried to make Jarl respond to the command, but he refused to retreat and stood tall against the coming intruders as he insisted in his unforgiving horse way that Rosemary answer the call with him.

A rage like Rosemary had never known before began to pool inside her belly. Daniel's rage. Hate dripped off him and was thick in the air. The heat of his emotions surrounded her like a blanket trying to keep her warm and safe.

Feeling more powerful and alive than she ever had, Rosemary pulled the sword from her back.

The men we're still too far, so Nicholas drew his sword and came to Rosemary's side. "I'm with you."

Jarl rose up to his rear legs then stomped down on the first goblin that tried to land its blade into Rosemary, crushing him between his hooves. As the next dirty, foul monster attacked , Rosemary swung her sword and claimed his arm for the dark force that took her over.

As the air around them began to boil with Daniel's hate, the fresh cold breath from her lungs was pulled away, leaving Rosemary breathless and gasping for more.

An arrow passed by Nicholas's head then stopped and fell to the ground like the weapon hit an imaginary wall.

Rosemary's eyes darted around before her in confusion as the goblins stopped their attack and began to back away as the riders finally arrived at the skirmish.

Nicholas looked back, and he witnessed Daniel standing on the ground behind him with his hand in the air reaching at the attackers. His eyes were black, and he glowed blue as the flame engulfed him.

As the dread of remembering the ancient and thought to be extinct Firestarter people came back to him, Nicholas finally understood who Daniel was.

In his mind, Daniel ordered the horses to move out of his way. As they parted and ran back to the other riders, Daniel walked towards the remaining goblins with his hand still raised. As an evil smirk curled up on the side of his face, Daniel closed his eyes and rained down hell on the attackers.

Running away from the crazed warlock, the goblins started to burst into flames as Nicholas and his children stood watching in awe and horror. The ones that weren't instantly incinerated had the air sucked from their lungs and suffocated as they waited on the fire to consume them. The foul, sweet smell of death wafted through the air as the flames consumed every dirty, stinking creature it met.

Pulling the flames back with his will, Daniel put down his hand and stumbled backwards a few steps as exhaustion finally set in. Since he first let Rosemary into his mind, he'd been able to light the fires a few times, but never like this. It sucked every ounce of strength from him.

With the danger to her finally gone into the smoke filled air, Daniel turned around to find Rosemary and looked up to see the entire family staring at him in amazement.

Ignoring their awestruck looks and his own pride, Daniel walked quickly to Rosemary's side. His voice was cracked and panicked as his shaking hands pulled at her skirt. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

Rosemary snapped back from her shock of what she had just witnessed, and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Are you alright Daniel?"

Dropping his head to her thigh, Daniel nodded against her body as his worry began to die. The kind and understanding healer placed her hand on Daniel's head then slowly combed through his messy black hair with her fingers. "We're all safe because of you. You did well."

Watching the young star crossed lovers in front of them, Nicholas smirked to himself and nodded towards the woods. "Let's leave them alone. I think it's safe to say that he can get her back alright."

Agamori chuckled out and nodded. "Daniel! Can you see Rosemary back?"

Sliding his hand over Rosemary's, he brought her soft hand down to meet his lips, and he kissed the palm of it before looking at them. "We'll be right there."