Chapter 20

Chapter 20

John entered the chapel and stood at the back. Marie sat in the front pew and stared at the altar. She hadn't noticed he entered, and he took a moment as he studied her. She was beautiful in the setting sun's light. The separate rays touched her like angels blessed her with golden glimmers.

They agreed to replace the stone at dusk as Emily MacDougall, Colin's mom, suspected some magic occurred when the shadow of the top window aligned with the mosaic cross on the floor. Colin and Bree swore the cross windows became part of the power which returned Colin from purgatory. But really the power came from Bree's love for Colin. True love remained the greatest power of all. Wasn't it enough for him? Was it sufficient for them?

How would he bridge the gap between them since they returned? How did one show love, admiration, and respect for the woman he wanted to spend forever with, his one true love? He searched his mind and heart, and he had the answer all along.

****

Marie sat in the Chapel in the Woods, this being the first time she came to the chapel since her and John's return to the twenty-first century. She recalled Bree used to fear the doorway, and with good reason. It was a portal in time. Marie never feared the entrance or the chapel. But today, she feared many things.

Would John still want her as his wife? Did he still love her as he declared before her kidnapping and their trip back in time?

The fifteenth-century events ran through her mind. Could John put aside her kidnapping and the priest's quest to find a powerful Fae stone that cost his parents' lives? If she begged him to forgive her, would he?

Marie held the cross in her hands. She didn't carry the relic much since she returned to the future. A mere touch and her fears rushed to the front of her mind and screamed all at once. She needed to focus on something else to quiet them. Today the feeling happened easily—her love for John. Her love for John always worked.

Marie turned the cross over in her hands. She took photographs of it for historical purposes since she feared the cross would disappear when they returned the stone to the Fae. She rotated it again and she stared at the Stone of Fear.

The last time she examined the stone this close, a vision was of a priest who yelled at her like in her dreams. Today, only the flicker of light through the deep purple stone glittered back at her.

An awareness overcame her, a sensation at the nape of her neck that spread through her shoulders and warmed her heart. A flutter of air caressed her hand, like a hand on hers in the last sunlight. A shuffle and a step up the aisle—those were his boot treads. The bench rocked as his weight settled beside her.

She recognized who it was without looking, realized when John entered the chapel. She always felt an awareness when he came close. He stood in the back for some time. She sensed him, detected his troubled thoughts, and feared what his judgements were—feared what his heart led him to decide.

She couldn't look at him, so she handed him the cross and rose to leave. As she strode away, she sensed the power from the Stone of Fear leave her and her fears faded.

Marie took a few steps down the aisle, and the bench creaked. "Marie."

She stopped but didn't turn around. Her eyes watered, and her throat closed. She couldn't face John, not now. If she did, she might fall apart.

"Marie, I've had time to think over things. Events in the past, our situation in the present—and about the future."

He took a deep breath. "Our future."

Marie's breath caught. A tear slipped out and fell down her cheek. She still didn't turn, understood what would come, his rejection. She couldn't face him if he told her he no longer loved her.

The clunk of the cross on the pew and the shuffle of a step let her know John moved. Heat on her back told her he stood close behind her. She wanted John to wrap her in his arms and hold, kiss, and love her.

He inhaled and released his breath. "Marie, I've thought about what happened in the past. What my father did."

Marie's head dropped, and she stifled a sob. God, here it comes.

"Marie, I don't want his sacrifice to stand between us." Was this a trick? Had she heard him right? She glanced up at the window as the sunbeam shone on her face.

John sucked in his breath.

The sun cast her in a circle of warm sunlight that lit her, warmed her. Marie's fears faded, and her heart melted.

"Marie, please don't feel guilty. My da made his choice, but I think he chose based on what he realized about me." She took a deep breath and stared at her hands as she sniffled.

He took a sudden breath.

Was that a gasp? This whole conversation tore at her heart.

"Marie, he realized how I felt about ye. How ye being missing tore me apart. He witnessed how much I loved ye. And he understood losing ye would be the death of me."

She stiffened her shoulders.

John's hands rested on them as he smoothed both his hands over her.

She took a cleansing breath. Could John mean what he said? Did he love her still?

He whispered in her ear, "He recognized ye were my true love. He sacrificed himself not just for me but for us, our future."

She whirled around. "Ye aren't leaving me?"

John smiled as he wiped the tears from her face. He shook his head and took her face in his hands. The sun shone on them a cast them in the glow of a halo.

John whispered as he held her.

The sea fairy swam fast away,

Safely over the wave and sea.

Gave her heart to her human love,

Will she ne'er come back to me.

Will ye come back to me?

Will ye come back to me?

Better loved ye canna be,

Will ye come back to me?

Marie smiled. "John, yer poem."

John caressed her cheek. "Aye, I finished it." He took a breath and gazed into her eyes as he recited the rest of his poem.

Ye trusted yer heart to yer lover,

I trusted ye, dear sweet Fae.

I kent yer hidin' in the glen,

Your crying echoed my way.

Asked her to be my bride,

An even tho purer we may be.

Silver canna buy my heart,

That beats hard for her beauty.

Sweet the love stone's note held long,

Lilting wildly up the glen.

But aye to me I regret she has gone,

Will she not come back again?

She gazed into his eyes and saw her love reflected.

He bent and kissed her deeply.

She wrapped her arms around the man she loved and returned his kiss with all her heart.

John lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. His hand cupped her cheek, and he whispered, "Marie, I love ye. Please be my wife?"

Marie smiled as a new tear trailed down her cheek. She laughed in a sob, and John wiped her tears.

Marie sighed and she whispered back, "Aye, I'd love that." They kissed again as the sound of tinkling laughter filled the chapel.

John jerked Marie behind him as he glanced around the chapel. His gaze landed on the altar.

Marie peeked from behind him, and a short, slight woman sat on the altar dressed in all white with shining jet-black hair. When she turned her head the point of an ear peeked out, and translucent wings fluttered from her back in the light. To Marie, she resembled one of the Fae in Scottish fables. Wait, she is a Fae in the flesh!

Marie gasped. "Holy shit."

John glanced at her. "Ye can see her?"

Marie nodded. "The sprite sitting on the altar twirling the cross from its chain. Aye, I do."

The Fae smirked with a knowing glare as she held the cross, the one with the Stone of Fear.

She laughed. "Hello, John, introduce me to yer true love."

John shook his head. "I'd rather not if ye don't mind. I like her here in my arms. There's no telling what ye and yer sister may do."

The Fae shrugged. "That's okay. My sis isn't with me today."

The wee woman glanced past John and stared directly at her. "Hello, Marie. I'm glad we finally met. I'm Morrigan, the MacArthur Fae. We'll become fast friends; we will."

When their eyes locked, Marie's heart skipped. Was this an evil Fae? An awareness came upon her. She was no evil Fae, far from it. Marie sensed her goodness and kindness, all light. For the first time since she returned from the past, Marie became…hopeful.

Morrigan's gaze returned to John and took on a devilish grin as she held up the cross. "Ye really shouldn't leave this thing lying around. An evil Fae might pick it up."

John waved his hand. "Ye have the stone. Now be off with ye. Ye've finished yer business."

Morrigan flew up near the ceiling and floated there for a moment. "Actually, my business isn't done." Her gaze shifted back to Marie. John moved between them and blocked Marie's view. Morrigan flew above the altar, and her eyes connected with Marie's. What did this Fae mean? Her business isn't done. She had the stone.

John turned, took her in his arms, and held her tight. "Don't fall for her tricks Marie. I don't want anything happening to ye."

Morrigan giggled in her tinkling laugh. "John, she has nothing to fear now. I'm also here to thank her. It's Marie the Fae owe a thank ye to."

John held Marie tighter. "How so?"

Morrigan's gaze went to John, then back to Marie.

Marie stood stunned. The Fae desired to thank her. But wait, because of her John's parents died. The priest kidnapped her. She was the one who caused all the issues.

Morrigan stared at Marie, and calmness covered her.

Morrigan shook her head. "Marie, ye are wrong, dear."

Wait, did she read my mind? Holy hell!

The Fae's focus shifted to John. "If it weren't for Marie, we would never know where the evil Fae placed the Stone of Fear. There wasn't another stone tracking it like the Stone of Love, and since Colin lost it while in purgatory, we had no idea where the Stone of Fear went."

John's grip loosened, but he still held her.

Marie blinked at Morrigan. She found the stone for the Fae.

Morrigan twirled the cross. "Ye see, the evil Fae placed their version of the Kells book, bad as it was, in the priest's path along with the Stone of Fear, hoping they would find another Iona stone." She sighed. "And it almost worked."

Marie tilted her head, "But I don't understand. Why thank me? It was John's da who recognized the stone. He found it."

Morrigan nodded. "Aye, and he understood he would find the Stone of Fear one day, just not exactly when."

As Morrigan smiled at Marie, she became warm.

Morrigan grabbed the cross and pointed the end at Marie. "But it was ye who made the magic in the stone work. It was yer emotions for John, fear for his life, desire for yer life together, and love that powered the stone. While Douglas sacrificed himself, it was ye who used the stone's power to injure the priest, all while ye kept possession of the stone."

Marie gaped at Morrigan. "Ye mean I did it? I recovered the stone for the Fae?"

John shifted beside her and squeezed her once.

She turned, and he beamed at her. "It was ye, Marie, all along. Ye're the one, my one true love."

She hiccupped and hugged him. "Oh, John, I love ye."

Morrigan fluttered as the tinkling laughter filled the chapel.

Marie glanced at the altar where the Fae settled again. "Now, one last task, and then my business is finished."

She twirled the cross from its chain, and it spun fast. As the cross rotated quicker, a purple light shone from the circle. The violet light grew and spread through the interior of the chapel. A bright burst of light shot through the chapel in a crash of musical tinkling glass. The light blinded Marie. As her hand reached for her face, John's hands shifted and covered both their faces.

When the light faded, and all was quiet, they both glanced around the chapel. Marie turned to the stained-glass window looking for the Stone of Fear, and the purple stone sat in the box at the bottom. When she stepped toward it, the box disappeared along with the deep purple stone.

John and Marie stood alone in the chapel in the setting sun's light.

John heaved a deep sigh. "Well, thank God the stone's returned."

Marie shook her head. "I don't think so, John." Marie held up both her hands. In one, she held the gold cross, empty of all stones.

John took the cross and rotated it as he checked each side.

Marie held out her other hand and fisted tight.

John glared at Marie as his brow drew down.

Marie smiled back. "Just before the stone burst, Morrigan whispered in my ear."

John's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "Dear God, please tell me it is good news. I don't think we can survive another bargain with the Fae."

Marie giggled. "She said yer father's spirit made one last bargain."

John gasped. "Lord, what bargain has he made now?"

Marie patted his face. "Morrigan said this is his wedding gift to us." She opened her palm, and the last bright red ruby stone from the cross twinkled in the dusk light.

"Morrigan said her father, Dagda, king of the Good Fae, blessed the stone. They named it the Stone of Eternal Love to represent our love for each other. Morrigan said this is for my wedding ring."

John peered at the stone and then at Marie. "Are ye sure ye'll want a stone from the Fae as yer wedding ring?"

She smiled. "Ye said I got to pick out my stone. This one is from yer da, so this is the one I want."

John closed her hand around the stone and squeezed it once.

His gaze met hers as he smirked. "What did the new rock say when it met its new owner?"

Marie shrugged.

John smiled. "Let's start with a clean slate."