Chapter 7

Helen watched as a smile formed on Celia's face. Needing to be near Theanna, she’d come into the room to find Damian using Celia to connect to her. "He's done it. She's drawing strength from him to hold on," Celia said, knowing Helen was there. Helen breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then Darius burst into the room, looking almost wild-eyed. "How is she? She isn't...?"

"No, my love, thanks to Damian she's hanging on. Were you able to retrieve it?"

"Of course." Running a hand through his hair he added, "I couldn’t feel her. I was worried we were too late."

Helen walked over to her husband and wrapped her arms around him, said to him softly in the language of his people, "I know my love. Damian is truly her mate. He loves and cherishes her. He’s doing everything he possibly can to save her!” Darius nodded as he looked at Damian and Thea.

Damian’s eyes opened as he sat up, never letting go of Thea’s hand. “Do you have it?”

Darius produced an ornate bottle filled with a swirling glittering liquid. The liquid itself moved and reacted as if it were alive. “Everything that makes Theanna... Theanna.”

“I’ve never seen one so colorful,” Helen mused.

“Her training. Each life she’s lived is its own color, or aura,” Darius explained.

Suddenly a staff member approached Helen and whispered into her ear. After nodding in response Helen said, “Lilith is here. She’s offered to help, Damian. Like you, she’s done this before.”

“Good! Her powers are quite strong.” As he watched Helen leave to get Lilith, Damian said to Darius and Celia, “This will not be easy. We’ll need to return her memories to her and that will be quite complicated with her having lived so many lifetimes within her own through her training. Those memories are generally all together as one experience but because of the Ahriman, they are mixed in with her primary memories. We’ll also have to remove the shadow of the Ahriman from her mind and soul.”

“What about Nihasia? How do we prevent her from taking control?” Darius asked.

“Galena.” Closing his eyes he summoned his sister. As she appeared he said, “Theanna was attacked by an Ahriman. I need your help to return her memories and prevent Nihasia from taking over.”

Galena nodded. “Of course. Even with my help, Nihasia is a risk. Theanna will be weak.”

“She’ll have us,”Damian replied, determined to save his Thea.

Just then Helen and Lilith walked up as Lilith asked, “How can I help?”

“Thank you, Lilith!” Taking charge, Damian instructed, “Celia, you will be the key to our link. Maintain that connection without interruption. Darius, you and Lilith need to do the incantation to release her essence from the Ahriman’s holder. Once it’s released, I’ll then need your powers combined with mine to put her memories back and remove the Ahriman’s shadow mark. Galena, I’ll need you to guide her essence while keeping Nihasia calm. You may not see her, but she’s there.”

“Have you sensed her at all?” Galena asked.

“Only a shadow of her lurking.” At Galena’s nod, he then added, “This won’t be easy and will weaken us all greatly. We cannot give up or fail. Should we fail, all that will remain of Theanna will be the shell of her body.”

“Agreed. The amount of skill and power this requires is why it rarely succeeds. But, we have the son of Gaia, the Daemoni Prince of Ikisat who is bonded and mated to her, the great seer of Ikisat, Thea’s imprinted psychic, and myself, a Princess of the Outer Realms. If anyone has a chance, it’s Theanna,” Lilith encouraged.

“Samyael, come forth,” Damian commanded as he nodded his agreement.

Samyael instantly appeared and with his head bowed said, “You summoned, my prince?”

“Stand guard with Helen. No one is to interrupt us, NO ONE!”

“Yes, my prince. NO ONE.”

As everyone looked at each other, they all moved into position. Celia held Thea’s right hand while standing at her head. Damian laid down on the bed next to her on her left, holding her left hand. Darius and Lilith stood to Thea’s right and Galena stood between Celia and Damian.

Closing his eyes, Damian rejoined Thea, who was humming blissfully as a young child might. When he approached she looked up at him with no recognition at all. Even the shadow that was Nihasia was almost gone. Panic filled him as he realized he was losing her. “Celia, have them begin. If we don’t do this now we won’t be able to save her.”

Celia looked at Darius, fear in her eyes. “Damian said to begin. She’s almost gone.”

Darius and Lilith looked at each other and in unison started chanting in the Ahriman’s language. As they did, the bottle started to float above Thea. Over and over they chanted until finally the contents floated free, swirling above Thea. Galena, using her hands, guided the beautiful contents into Thea. She arched her back and screamed in terror and pain but as her scream quieted, so did their chanting. They laid their hands on Thea, releasing their energies for Damian’s use.

Damian held Thea close as her ‘world’ exploded and she screamed in pain, holding her head. All around them memories floated in random jumbles. Everything being remembered at once and without sense or order. He closed his eyes as he tapped into Darius’ and Lilith’s powers. Opening his glowing eyes, he cupped Thea’s cheeks in his hands as he said, “Theanna, my cherished Zoqa, let me help you.”

Mesmerized by his eyes she simply nodded, opening her mind, her control to him. As she did, the memories calmed and one by one righted themselves, almost as if they were books on a shelf being put back into their proper order. Periodically a memory would flash and pause and when it did Damian would remove the image of the Ahriman hiding in it.

The Ahriman had been very good at his job, his shadow was anywhere and everywhere. Memory after memory Damian cleaned and righted. As Damian worked, his powers rapidly weakened, causing him to pull more and more from Darius and Lilith. It didn’t matter if he drained them all completely. He had to help his Theanna.

Helen increasingly became worried as she watched Darius and Lilith struggle to provide Damian with what he needed. Several times they’d come close to collapsing, and yet they continued. Just as they had reached their limit, Galena added her powers as she placed her hands on each side of Thea’s head.

“Nihasia, it’s time to sleep,” she encouraged.

Minute after minute dragged by until finally Darius and Lilith gasped and collapsed onto the floor, panting. Darius looked up at Helen and breathing heavily told her, “It’s done. Pray that Damian got it right.”

Celia finally released her hold on Thea’s hand as she joined Darius and Lilith. A minute later Galena joined them as she said, “Damian and Thea sleep now. He refuses to leave her alone. Sam, he asked that you remain to guard them. I’m also to remain should Nihasia try to appear.”

“Absolutely.”

“Will either of you need anything?” Helen asked.

“A chair and maybe a meal but otherwise, no,” Sam smiled.

“The same,” Galena added.

“Of course! We have rooms down the hall for you, Celia and Lilith. We may need your help again, so please rest up. I promise as soon as Thea awakes we’ll let you know. Now as for you, husband, come,” Helen ordered as she and Darius vanished from the room.