Chapter 5: From light the King will be born

Morgan stirred, moving her weight to the side, she looked so young when she was sleeping, her face took on a different glow, he wished he could protect her from the Shadow, from the beast…from himself.

He carried her back to the bedroom laid her in the bed to rest, she needed to regain her strength, she would shape-shift tonight, he needed to get away for a while, get his balance back, she slept blissfully unaware of the turmoil she caused in his heart.

Mrs. Ingram was waiting as he left the room, 'Can I get you anything?' she asked amicably eyeing him as if trying to decide if he was trustworthy or not, 'No, thanks. I think I'll just go down for a walk, I need to think.' Morgan replied heading for the door.

'Very well, what shall I say if Aura asks for you?' she put in worriedly 'Just …that I'll be back soon.' He smiled gently at the dear lady who after all worked as a guardian just like him.

Meanwhile in the other room, the Fates watched what happened through the portal, it worked both ways, and they did like to keep everything under control, Aura slept blissfully unaware she was being watched.

Morgan went down to the lobby and smiled at the receptionist as he went out, the girl sighed contentedly, he had just made her day, he walked fast, thinking even faster on what he was going to risk with that foolhardy plan of theirs, it was known that he was powerful, but what he had done to become so was something he and the Fates alone knew.

He had lost everything and everyone and for a chance of revenge he had become their slave…a slave with rights, but a slave nonetheless, it was on one of the rare occasions Aura visited them that he had first seen her, had he known she was their Goddaughter he would never have made the bargain, now more than ever, he knew they could never be, it was killing him and making the beast very angry that he would never be able to have her completely, she was way beyond his reach, he shook his head trying to get rid of the self-pity.

He needed to think about the best way to kill the Shadow without endangering Aura, the beast clamored for release and a thought started forming in Morgan's head, turning, he headed back to the hotel, maybe there was a chance for them after all.

As Aura woke up from her slumber her first thought was about Morgan, she turned on the bed only to see him sitting relaxed against the pillows beside her, 'At last sleeping beauty, I was wondering if I had to wake you up…' Morgan said in a very sensual voice making the hairs on her neck rise, her treacherous body reacting instantly to him.

'Why didn't you?' she asked stifling back a yawn while she stretched, her eyes locked down on his, she had never felt so powerless in her life, she had no control over her mind and least of all her body.

'I love to see you sleep, you look so young…and you purr like a satisfied kitten.' Morgan held her up to him laughing at the killer look she gave him.

'You are looking very smug, what have you got up your sleeve Mr. Wolfhound?' she asked suspiciously.

'You'll see when the time comes, for now you just need to get ready for the shifting, it is getting late.' He told her getting out of bed dragging her with him.

'What time is it?' she asked worried that she would not have time to prepare.

'Close to midnight, but you have plenty of time, the full course of the moon only happens around two, ' Oh, I've overslept…shoot why didn't you wake me up sooner…' she said running to the bathroom, turning on the water as she let the kimono drop to the floor, she heard his breath intake and laughed inwardly, they did not have the time now, 'Maybe next time you'll wake me up sooner…' she said laughing at the puppy eyes look he gave her.

Morgan wanted to take her to bed and have his way with her again, she was like ambrosia to him, he would never sate his need of her, he watched as she showered and longed to be under the water with her, but instead he went to her wardrobe and took out a black cotton robe, for her to dress, it would make it easier when she shifted back, at least she would not be butt naked like he had been.

As Aura turned off the water feeling renewed, she felt this strange pain in her heart, it took her breath away, the shifting was coming faster than usual, 'Morgan!' she called out to him, 'What?' he asked as he came into view and ran to her the instant he saw her.

'It is coming faster than usual, I'm feeling the vibration already, 'Fast get the robe on, let's take you to bed.' But it was too late the pain was unbearable, she was changing, her body convulsed, and moved so fast he could not hold her, her shifting was vicious, and all of a sudden it all stopped, the silence broken by a mischievous 'meow' and a little black cat sitting in the bed looking at him with beautiful even if a bit uncommon piercing blue eyes, she came down and started rubbing her body on his jean clad legs, purring away.

'Aren't you the prettiest cat I've ever seen!' he said picking her up, she licked his hands, and rubbed her nose in his fingers.

'Mrs. Ingram?? Where are you??' Morgan called out, Aura in his arms.

'In here.' She answered coming out of her bedroom a book in her hand, which she let drop as soon as she saw the cat, 'Oh my word, I do not believe it! she shifted without me, and without the complete cycle…that is not normal.' She looked somewhat distraught at Morgan as if he had the answer.

'Not normal? Why?' he asked puzzled, 'Well she usually takes a long time to shift and the pain is like something I have never seen before in a shifter.' She said reaching for Aura, 'My poor Mistress at least this time it was fast.' She cuddled the cat adoringly.

'How long will it take for her to shift back?' Morgan asked curiously, he never knew when he shifted back, how long he had been under the spell.

'My lady will return to her normal self at the first ray of sun.' she said turning away from him, 'I'm going to feed her, she loves tuna when she shifts.'.

Mrs. Ingram took her away to the kitchen next to the bedroom, leaving Morgan behind to wonder about the Shadow, no sooner had he thought about him, than he heard a scream coming from the kitchen, he jerked into action, pushing the door with all his might, only to find Mrs. Ingram already in the floor and Aura in the Shadow's way, her back hair up and the hissing so nasty she sounded like a wild cat.

' No!' he moved forward to protect her but the Shadow was faster and had Aura by the tail, darkness surrounding them as the Shadow moved fast trying to get away taking Aura with him.

'She is mine, she will become darkness, and there is no way you can stop me!' the shadow said lunging at him, cutting him across the chest, the pain Morgan felt was overwhelming, but the beast lashed out at the Shadow and from the medallion came a light so bright it blinded them all.

The beast now stood in the middle of the tiny kitchen in all its splendor, the red body of what looked to be a man, but who was something altogether different, the long arms equipped with long sharp fingers, fell loosely by its sides, the face, if it could be called that, was made of planes and angles with two black beads for eyes, the mouth a thin black line, looked especially vicious, it looked evil, it looked ready to destroy and destroy it did, a blast so powerful of light came out from his body the Shadow was propelled back into the wall the crashing noise like an explosion.

He didn't let go of Aura, he still had her by the tail, the beast spoke in a rhythmic voice, a chanting that was making the Shadow weaker, and then the medallion levitated to Aura and circled her furry black neck, the Shadow looked at all this through unbelieving eyes, as Aura shifted back in front of him her body permeated with light, she looked like the sun, her hair was made of flames her eyes shone like diamonds her voice when she spoke could scare the dead.

'I told you Shadow, the next time we met I would have no mercy!' she turned to Morgan and reached out to touch him, Morgan felt the connection and saw the power she was pulling from him and with their hands held together both of them spread a light so brilliant the Shadow simply evaporated, being completely destroyed, sent into another dimension, a dimension of light.

Aura fell forward in Morgan's arms as soon as the Shadow was destroyed she just lay in his arms unconscious, the light that had made her shift was gone, the necklace lay placidly against her snow white chest, the beast who had been a mere spectator of the display of power the Sorceress had made looked down at Aura and looked back at Morgan, he spoke in a language only Morgan understood.

'My job is done, the Fates no longer hold me nor you prisoner, because she was prepared to die, to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save you all, my light has gone on to her and I am free, she is now the only one to bare the mark of the Reign of Light, beware of the Fates human, they are cunning, remember to deliver this message to them, from the darkness came light, and from light the King will be born, they know what it means, but they are not expecting to hear it from you, for once I have defied Fate and the Fates.' And with that the beast exploded into a million tiny lights that looked like fireflies, taking with him all that bonded Morgan to the Fates.

Morgan picked Aura up holding her as close as he could, still trying to figure out what had just happened, Mrs. Ingram was by his side checking if Aura was not hurt, she was so still it looked like she was dead.

'We have to take her to bed, warm her up, she is in shock, have you any idea what just happened?' she asked moving fast for a woman her age, quickly in charge of everything, the kitchen looked like a tornado had swept by but they would get it to normal in no time, taking in consideration what they had been through, the kitchen was the smaller of their problems still Morgan thought it had been too easy, and he had never had anything easy before so he suspected the storm had just begun.

He was right, because as soon as they laid Aura in bed, she started trashing the bed, she had a fever, a very strong fever, nothing cooled her down, no matter what he or Mrs. Ingram thought of, nothing worked, they were starting to think it would be better to summon Hecate, but she was busy destroying all the Shadow followers left behind in the Magical Realm, so the next best option were the Fates…

'You thought well, my boy!' Morgan turned around to see the three of them hovering by the bed, looking concerned about Aura, 'What is the meaning of this?' they asked their voices sounding ominous to him; Mrs. Ingram retreated into the corner of the bedroom not wanting to face the fearsome threesome.

'The beast was released, while the Shadow had Aura, she shifted back carrying the beast's light, Aura and I destroyed the Shadow using the Light but Aura is unconscious since the Shadow was destroyed, I don't know what is happening!' he exclaimed worriedly, 'The beast did what???' they roared in unison making the walls tremble.

'He also told me to tell you that from light the King will be born.' Morgan said almost fearing their response, but they laughed and looked at him with adoration in their eyes, he must watch out, like the Beast said and he knew only too well, they were cunning, deceiving, envious old hags.

'Those are wonderful news, you are released from your bargain, we are taking Aura to the Magical Realm, you are to stay away from her, if you so much as think her name, our wrath will know no limits, there's no place in this world or in the other that we can't find you, remember that…' they said as they vanished into thin air taking Aura's limp body with them.