The Ballad of Evanora

As Seraphina walked into the highest tower of Daroque's castle, she felt as if she had stepped even further in time. Seraphina's lair wasn't like the rest of the castle, with its grey masonry on the walls, the pebbled floor, and the shelves that hung up and down, high and low that had assorted jar's and bottles with all kind of materials within them. On the west side of the tower leaking blood sat a black fur wolf head on a wooden table. The Wolf's jaw was open, with Evanora herself in front of it pulling a fang out, and dropping it into the cauldron that sat in the middle of the room bubbling with some tar looking substance, that was emitting green and purple smoke. Evanora turned back to her shelf adding other ingredients that changed the tar like substance into a more liquidly, gaseous substance.

"It has always fascinated me in your mysterious craft." Daroque said silkily as he walked in. Seraphina tensed as she watched Daroque look at Evanora as she bowed. Everything about Daroque seemed to scream slimy. His eyes seemed to feast on Evanora's very presence.

"Is it almost ready?" Daroque asked. Evanora rose from her bow her eyes dark. "As soon as the sun sets the curse will take its effect." She said. "And I will never fear of losing my kingdom." Daroque said, his eyes glittering with dark intent. He gently touched Evanora's cheek. "Soon we will both be as powerful as any of our enemies." He said with a smile.

"I will leave you to your work." He said leaving as quietly as he had entered. Evanora smirked. "As it our enemies were the same." She muttered darkly. She pulled out a silver dagger, "With the dagger belonging to the King Daroque," She said, slicing her palm on the jagged blade. "And the blood of his chosen witch, I declare that this curse cannot be undone except by me or mine." She said raising the sword up to the sky at the sun that shone a bright orange as it prepared to set. Seraphina's eyes darkened as she watched the dagger disappear into the air.

"So that's how she did it." Seraphina whispered and closed her eyes transporting herself behind Freya and Victor who both stood watching the approaching clouds. "I know how the curse was enacted." Seraphina said quietly, smiling slightly as Freya and Victor whirled around. She put a hand on each of their wrists and in a single moment was in her store. She walked back into her counter pulling out a book. "What did you find?" Freya asked warily.

"The curse can only be undone by Evanora herself." Seraphina said. Freya tensed. "Evanora must be dead. It's been such a long time." Freya said.

"Evanora's curse was horrible enough that almost immediately after it enacted she was doomed. So of course she is very dead." Seraphina said flipping through the book. "But a curse such as this one will have many reoccurring elements. You needed the one that embodies Wilhelm's brave spirit to set you free from your wolf form. So the one who is destined to break the curse will be Evanora returned to mortal form. Her reincarnated self." Seraphina said flipping a page and then giving a triumphant laugh.

"And I know just where to find her."

xxxx

Of all the places she could've imagined the reincarnated version of Evanora the Guilty, a local dive bar in London's underground was the last place she would've expected. She watched the bar for a moment, looking at the scantily clad women, with their dark make-up and clunky boots, and the men in assorted leather, band shirts and jeans she knew she was definitely out of her depth.

Thankfully, Aline had taken the opportunity via a FaceTime call (Which Freya still felt was weird), to let her know what would be proper to wear. Which is how she found herself in fishnet stockings and one of the button up shirts that she had lifted out of Victor's closet and a short jean skirt. She wore her regular suede-leather jacket that was even more faded now after being through many fights both in the modern and Viking worlds.

Freya still couldn't believe that Seraphina was actually able to transport them into the world of the Danes that she had grown up in. Victor had surprisingly fit in her world, in a way Freya hadn't been able to fit into his. Not that he would ever complain. Victor might have been the descendant of Wilhelm but their souls were completely different. Freya didn't want to compare the two of them. She knew it was unfair and yet she still continued to do so.

Victor leaned in her space suddenly and Freya turned surprised to see him holding a stopper of amber liquid. "This is a shot. Try it." He said handing her one and demonstrating how to take it with another. Freya mimicked his actions, smiling at the burn that went down her throat with the liquid. She smelled nutmeg and spices from the shot and looked at Victor in question. He took back the glass from her with a smile. "Bourbon. Do you like?" He asked. "I thought it would be closer to that mead drink you forced on me at the Tavern." He reminded her, making her both smile and flush at the memory.

She followed him to a small circular table, in front of an elevated platform of some kind. "Do you see her anywhere?" Victor asked quietly. Freya stifled a smile. "I think I would recognize the woman that cursed me no matter what form she was in." Freya said. She glanced around anyways, and saw no one that really stood out.

All of a sudden the lights dimmed and the band walked out on the stage, the lights that shone on them was violet and blue shades. The Lead singer stepped out, his long black hair a curtain around a sallow pale face, overdone with black eye-liner.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are Lady Violet Dezire, and this is our SONG!" He said, raising a fist as the guitars, keyboardist and drummer started playing behind him. Freya didn't think much of the music but a lot of the modern day music sounded like a hot mess to her with her wolf sensibilities.

She glanced at the other members of the band, and was taken back at the girl guitarist. She had black painted nails and a shock of violet hair that hid her electric blue eyes, and she was much younger than she had ever known her, but it was her all the same.

Evanora.

Freya cursed, making Victor look at her in surprise. She leaned closer, so he could hear her over the music. "That's her!" She said her voice coming out nearly in a squeak. "Evanora!"

Victor frowned darkly, pulling out his phone. "Which one?" He asked his voice quiet. "Guitarist. Purple hair." She whispered, glancing around. "Her name is Lilly-Anne Nora Williams." Victor said. "Williams…she's a heiress of Williams Consolidated. They are an industrial manufacturer. Unfortunately for her parents, Nora prefers nature over the steaming industry." Victor said with a smile. "We'll have to wait until she's off stage before we can talk to her about anything." Victor said.

"Talk to who about what?" Xander said materializing out of nowhere and flipping a chair to join them both. "What are you even doing here?" Freya asked with a frown. "Aline told me what happened, with Seraphina. I wanted to make sure you were both alright. The Viking lifestyle isn't for everyone." Xander said looking at Victor. "Well then you would be wrong. Victor was amazing." Freya said with a proud smile. Xander grinned at them both and then glanced at the band and did a double take. "Bless my bark! Is that who I think it is?" Xander asked with a surprise. Freya laughed, "Not exactly."

"Reincarnation?" Xander asked. "Yup. Does that happen often?" Victor asked curiously. "Not often enough. But with curses like the one Freya was under, people who are needed to break the curse are reborn when the one who is destined to break the curse is born. She must have been born a couple years after you."

"Ten years after me." Victor said. "She's only seventeen."

"You'd be amazed at what witches can achieve at that age."

Xxxx

The alleyway was slick with a recent rainfall, the old cement shining in the dark. Nora lit a cigarette as she watched the cousins of the lead guitarist put away the instruments. Nora put a hand over her stomach. She could feel something in the air. The scent of change. It made her sick to her stomach. She felt the winds change and she glanced to the mouth of the alleyway that led to the main thoroughfare. Nora could clearly see the silhouette of someone there. Nora threw the cigarette on the floor stamping on it with the edge of her heeled boot. She walked to the figure with no fear. She had long since lost the capacity to fear. She saw the figure approach and as he moved out of the shadows and into the light Nora froze as she recognized the man standing before her.

"Can I borrow a light?" the man said calmly, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Nora. Nora didn't trust it. She moved her hand slightly her fingers gripping the edge of her concealed weapon. She glanced down the alleyway before she looked at him with a slight frown. "You don't look like a smoker." She said. The man grinned. "So what do I look like then?" He asked. Nora narrowed her eyes. "A knight of old." She said her eyes dark.

She watched as he seemed to freeze in the smallest increments. She pressed down on the button that released her weapon holding it in her palm. "I despise Knights." She said pulling out her weapon a retractable staff and whirled it, towards the man. Feeling a sense of contentment as her staff met another, as the man pulled out a cane with a silver skull on it's head.

"So it would seem you do remember, Evanora." He said, his voice curling around the name of the woman she had been once. She pushed him back with a curse. "My name is Nora!" she said furiously, blocking his swipes with the staff. She threw her staff at him and while he batted it away, she raised her hand blasting him back and palming a dagger in each hand, twirling them as she circled the man.

He twirled his staff watching her. "Well Nora. You seem to know your way around weapons of war." He said with a curl of his lip. She raised the daggers in the warrior stance she had learned at thirteen. "I don't want this." She said quietly. "I just want to be left alone."

The man shrugged. "Sometimes we don't get to choose our own fate." He said, his lips turning into a smile. "I wanted to become a professor of literature. We all have our crosses to bare." He said. Nora started at the familiar line.

"And our destinies to fulfill." She murmured. She lost focus for a moment so she missed the look of intrigue that crossed the man's face. The man she knew to be Xander pressed his advantage but Nora was ready for him and she swiped left and right, as she had been taught.

As they fought he was somehow able to press his advantage and she found herself back to his well-defined chest, the staff suddenly around her neck. Her daggers fell as she braced the staff away from her neck. She felt Xander smirk near her ear. "Never knew you were such a little hellcat. Makes me wonder what other secrets there are for me to uncover." He said. She huffed moving her leg in between his and pulled on the staff as he lost his footing.

Xander landed on his back before her. She grinned triumphantly but that lasted only a slight moment as he grasped her ankle and flipped her. She growled throwing her arm up towards his face Xander immediately blocking it rolling away as she tried to kick him. Xander and Nora raised to their knees fighting, blocking and attacking. Xander pushed her away and tackled her, rolling until he was over her. "Do you yield?" Xander asked.

Nora leaned away from him. "GO. TO. HELL." She spat out hatefully, becoming more furious when his only response was to scoff at her. From where she lay sprawled on the dirty alleyway she heard the door of the club open a sliver of light brightening up Xander's features, as someone above her gasped. She looked up, as much as she could with Xander laying on her.

"Oh my god! What are you doing?!" The girl with dark curly hair said first the boy behind her leaning forward with surprise at their positions on the floor. Nora scowled. "For the record she hit me first." Xander said guiltlessly. The boy who stood above them narrowed his eyes in Xander's direction.

Nora frowned at him. She had immediately recognized the girl in front of him, and the man-child that was currently on top of her, but other than a sense of familiarity she knew that she had never met this man before.

Xander seemed to sigh, at the boy's gaze and rose away from her warily. Nora raised herself off the floor, fighting the urge to shove Xander into the alleyway floor. Nora looked at the girl, no woman once more. The woman was wearing modern clothes but there was no denying that Nora was looking at the Queen of Never. The Queen she had only ever seen in her dreams. She looked exactly as she imagined.

"You." Nora said quietly her eyes darkening. The Queen turned to look at her with a calculating gaze. "Are you going to fight me now?" She asked. "No one's fighting anyone." Xander said, making a few movements with his hands and suddenly the alleyway seemed to dissolve. Nora walked forward in shock nearly bumping into Aline's round table. Aline herself walked in taking in the sudden appearance of everyone, her eyes going to Nora almost immediately her eyes widening.

"Wow you look really green." She said handing Nora a bucket that she gratefully took and began hurling her guts out, much to the dismay of the other occupants of the room. Victor and Freya exchanged glances surprised at her violent reaction to Xander's magic.

Xander for his part, raised his eyebrows at the display surveying Nora, who eventually stopped, and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "What do you want of me?" She moaned, sounding extremely weak, as to be expected from someone who recently hurled.

"I think you know." Xander whispered, looking at Nora solemnly as she turned to look at him with anger. "I think you know."

Victor looked at Nora and felt sorry for the teenager that seemed to be way over her head. She didn't look at all like the evil purveyor of magic that Freya and Seraphina had made her out to be. She was just a teenager, being glared down by a man who was both magical and handy with a sword. She didn't look at him with fear, though, but an odd sort of defiance that surprised Victor. Of course, maybe he shouldn't have been very surprised. Weren't all teenagers all kinds of defiant in their own ways?

"You attacked me first. You called me a knight." He said looking at Nora. She glowered at him darkly her body seeming to tense as if she was ready to fight him and anyone else who stood in her way. "I was mistaken." Nora said, her voice as sharp as daggers. "There is nothing knight like about you at all." She said her words obviously meant to stab and hurt. Xander looked at her knowingly as if he knew what she was trying to do.

"But you also recognized me." Freya said her solemn voice breaking through the hostile atmosphere. Nora swallowed, slumping a bit as she faced Freya her eyes full of sorrow. Freya and Nora faced each other, the reincarnation of the witch, the black witch who has cursed Freya, and Freya the victim of a King's unjust greed and lust for power.

"I don't want this. I never wanted this." Nora said her eyes filling with tears. Xander looked at her carefully letting out a breath as he realized something. "You put magic behind you, didn't you?" he said.

Nora tensed at his words. "When I was twelve I was told a horrible story. The story of the witch whose face I wear. That day I renounced my heritage and threw my grimoire out the window." She said. Nora glanced at Freya. "For five years I knew nothing but peace, and then a couple of weeks ago my powers returned with a vengeance." She said, turning to look at Xander. "I had to learn my gifts, if only so I could control them." She said.

Nora's eyes cast downward. "The dreams were the worst. The flashes of a life that had never been mine. Emotions that weren't mine. All that hate. All that fear." Nora said, she gripped her fingers tightly in a fist. "I don't want this." She said incessantly.

"You don't have a choice." Aline said quietly. "Even if you were to turn your back on Freya, on magic, the bell has already been rung. The only way is through."