Forbidden Desires-Chapter 1

“It has been too long Most High, we’ve been waiting for you.” Asha’s voice called.

“I know.” I hear myself reply.

“We’ve been waiting for you, it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“To combine the magic.” A different voice answered, a voice that instantly forced me to choke up tears.

“Katrik?” I whispered. Swift as wind he was behind me nuzzling my neck.

“It’s me Gemma.” His angelic voice whispered into my hair.

“But…but the Tree of Souls…it…it claimed you! I saw! The magic took hold of you!” I choked out in-between sobs.

“Ssshhh, it’s okay Gemma. All is well…all is well.”

“But how?”

“I returned the magic to the land, and now I’m free. We can finally be together.” Relief rushed in, I couldn’t breath. Laughing, crying, it didn’t matter anymore! All was well now, Katrik was here, the Realms were safe, and nothing could go wrong.

“Gemma…Gemma…Gemma…” his voice mumbled into my ear in between kisses.

“MISS DOYLE! MISS DOYLE! GUEST ‘OR YER’!” Suddenly the Realms, Asha, and most important Katrik dissolved and I was back alone in my small room in America. I cleared my throat in an attempt to wash away the late night crying from my voice.

“Yes Mrs. Counter, thank you. Um if you’ll just give me a moment to gather myself.” I quickly threw on the dress closest to my feet, it was the same dress I wore the night all in the Realms broke lose…

The taste of tears still burned in my mouth, I washed my tear stained face and threw open my window curtains. It must have been nearly noon, ever since that faithful day in the Realms I had fallen into the nasty habit of sleeping as long as possible and spending my hours awake wandering aimlessly like a soulless phantom when I wasn’t in classes at the University. It was a meaningless and pointless existence, yet it was an existence… which was more than others had. Circe, Miss McCleethy, my mother, Katrik…

“Miss yer’ bes’ not be doin’ tha’!” Mrs. Counter’s voice called as my room door burst open.

“I am Felicity Worthington, I do believe me and my companion have waited long enough and I’m sure Miss Doyle will understand.” After her rant Felicity shifted her gaze to me and broke into a smile. “Gemma!”

“Fee!” I screamed as she wrapped me in a hug, it wasn’t until then that I saw Ann standing in the doorway.

“Ann!” I cried as I pulled her into the hug. It wasn’t long before we were all giggling and talking at once like our days at Spence.

“You both look so well!”

“Thank you, how do you like my dress?” Fee said as she spun around. It was a fearsome sight! Possibly the most scandalous dress I had ever seen! It was a strapless lavender dress that slowly opened up from the hips down, the opening-growing larger as it went down the dress.


“Fee! Are you even wearing a corset!?!” I exclaimed once my shock had subsided. Felicity let out a light laugh.

“No! I shall never where a corset again! Compliments of the French!”

“Oh Fee you are simply horrid!” Ann scowled, a full blush consuming her whole face.

“Yes, yes I know and I shall rot in Hell for all of eternity and all that other nonsense we learned in school. But I’m not the only one! I hear that a certain acquaintance of ours is courting with a certain Charlie Smalls the composer of Merry Maidens!” Felicity retorted staring at Ann. Ann’s blush deepened and she quickly looked down.

“Ann! Oh that is simply wonderful! I’m so happy for you! Congratulations! So I take it that show business is going well?” I asked.

“Yes, yes thank you.” Ann said raising her head slightly allowing her joy to escape from her emotionless mask temporarily. “But how about you? How have you been Gemma?” I know what she really meant. She was really asking how have you been since Katrik’s death? But I didn’t want to talk about it, ever. I didn’t even want to think of it but I was burdened with the memory of him sacrificing himself to the Tree of Souls to rescue me for life.

“Oh I’m fine, the University here is simply lovely and father sends me post from India nearly everyday, he’s living there now you know. It’s…it’s nice.”

“And the Realms?”
“I haven’t been since…” I let the words die in my mouth there.

“Oh.” Ann replied quietly realizing she had struck a nerve.

After a painful silence Felicity cut in. “Well there’s no time like the present.” She said rising from my bed.

“Fee-“ Ann tried to cut in but Felicity’s mind was already made up. She wanted to go to the Realms and she wanted to go now.

“No, no Ann it’s quite alright. Fee’s right, we’ll go to the Realms…tonight.”