Bloodline: Book 2 in the Demistrath Trilogy

By Rose Stauffer

In The Rescue of Demistrath, we follow Eva Mason’s innocent initiation into a magical realm in a parallel dimension, full of a cast of characters struggling to hold on to their history and culture when their queen suddenly dies without naming an heir. Eva joins forces with her new friends, leaving behind her life in the human world of Virginia, and she is drawn deeper into her destiny with Demistrath. In the second book of the story, we continue with Eva into the new role she must take on and how she is helped and hindered by the Elemental Council. Eva finds love, betrayal, danger, and new magical skills as she unravels the truth of her bloodline both past and present.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664159648

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Copyright © 2021 by Rose Stauffer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/07/2021

Xlibris

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

Author’s Acknowledgments

To Chelsea, my daughter,

always.

And to Solon Sage

Circa 2018

Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul

into the universal current of life,

where the histories of all people are connected,

and we are able to know everything,

because it’s all written there.

—Paulo Coelho

CHAPTER ONE

T HE SUNRISE ON the second day of my coronation was a vibrant display of magenta and orange. When I opened my eyes, the room was already flooded with an ambient rich color that drew me immediately to a sitting position. Well, hello world! I thought and rose from my bed, pulling down the folds of my nightgown, thinking how surreal it was to remember I was now a queen. The hues of the sunrise lured me outside, so I pushed through the French doors of my room that led to a balcony, where the cool September morning air lanced my face and arms. Sucking in a deep breath and smelling the rich wooded countryside sprawling out with rolling hills, I could almost be in Virginia. But I was not. I was in Demistrath, in another realm and dimension, far from home.

I stood with my bare feet on the flagstones and raised my arms in an arc above my head, stretching high and clasping my hands together in the air and then drawing them to my heart—the sun salutation. What would have seemed strange to me a month ago was now a comforting gesture and reminded me of my mistress Bernadette. A wave of grief washed through me as I remembered she was gone. How I wished she were here to experience this weekend with me. I stood at the balcony wall and looked out over the valley and to the village, stirring for another day. My eyes followed the River Rivanna, which snaked through the Demistrath valley, reflecting patches of pink light from the sun in shimmering patterns on the still surface. A ground fog permeated up off the water and through the valley, obscuring the village in a morning mist.

Yesterday’s pageantry was beautiful and overwhelming. Even though I was still a stranger, an outsider to this realm, by a curious turn of events, I was now their new queen. Queen Eva, long may she reign, the people had all chimed as they danced, cheered, drank, and celebrated on the plaza until midnight. Now here I was in the royal suite of the castle where I was brought yesterday morning for the first time. The rooms had been transformed and refurbished for me as the new queen. I didn’t know how the castle was adorned before me, when the late Queen Merideth’s errant son, Dev Sinnott, brazenly inhabited the place without blessing or sanction. While he occupied the castle, it was a dark and unwelcoming place, sparse and dim with firelight and damp stone. I was harshly introduced to the prisoner’s cell at my first visit. My thoughts stopped there. I didn’t want to think about that. Not on this lovely day.

Scenes from the battle to take back the castle flashed through my mind, memories and emotions started swarming me, and I felt chilly and vaguely disturbed. So much had happened in such a short time. I returned inside to my chambers and warmed my feet in the fur rug by my bed. The whole suite was furnished and decorated in what I love about Demistrath, woodland features woven with nature elements of air, water, earth, metal, rock, wood. Everything was in its original elemental substance and fashioned, formed, or molded into furniture, rugs, tapestries, architecture, and best of all, a walk-up fireplace of smooth round river stones.

Yesterday I was introduced to my ladies-in-waiting, or maidens, as they preferred to be called, who would be assisting me in all my royal upkeep, my daily schedule, and seeing that I was ready and prepared. Thank the goddess because this queen business was all foreign to me. I made sure Dawn, who was one of the few remaining fairies in Demistrath, and purported to be over three hundred years old but did not look a day past fifty, was identified as my right hand. She was the one who restored me back to myself after my rescue from Sinnott’s clutches, where I was held captive in this very castle. When Commander Lurien and the Guardians overthrew Sinnott and his devious crew from the castle, I was taken to the Guardians’ underground operating base, where Dawn lavished her care on me and educated me further in the ways of this realm.

Bernadette and I had first been summoned to Demistrath from the woods of Virginia on the grounds of Ferncliff Estate. Mr. Dabbs had found us. He had a way of whisking us through some kind of time/space warp to get here, a parallel world in the fourth dimension, invisible to humans. After the official coronation ceremony in the castle yesterday, both Mr. Dabbs and Dawn rode with me in my carriage for the parade to the Market Square, where the public festivities unfolded. Both of these two had taken special care of me, when I was a complete stranger and an unknown person to them, and I was fully aware of the sacrifices and risks they made to assist me. They didn’t have to be kind, but they were. I guessed I was blessed by my association with Bernadette because she had previous ties to Demistrath and to Festus and Astrid, members of the very important Elemental Council of Demistrath. It was Bernadette they were seeking and asking for help from initially, and I came with her.

A light tapping was heard at the door, and then it pushed open, and Dawn flitted into my chambers.

Good morning, my lady, she said, and she gave a minute curtsey. She was pulling her wagon of grooming and primping devices I remembered from the underground Glade, as the Guardians’ hidden base was called.

Oh, Dawn, please dispense with all that royal pomp! I laughed.

If you wish. You know, tonight is the full moon and lunar eclipse, which will make your coronation celebration even more distinguished. There’s a sacred circle in the Field of Festivals at midnight. You would be an honored guest.

I was intrigued. Who is in the sacred circle?

Dawn was laying out clothes and shoes for me today and helping me out of my nightgown.

The druids and witches and other pagans from the village who still like to honor the old ways. They gather on the nights of the full moons and on the eight Sabbats. We’ve moved away from the faithful practice of the old religion, but there was a time when the queen of Demistrath was also the priestess of the realm, the bloodlines entwined as one. When the Queen Mother ruled the land, she separated herself from the priestess line, saying the two roles needed to be distinct from each other, and Queen Merideth continued that ordinance. By then, though, the role of priestess was no longer filled, and the people practiced their spiritual beliefs more individually. I believe in your world it is called separation of church and state.

I glanced behind me to look at Dawn quizzically. It was strange to hear human terms parlayed here in Demistrath.

I believe you might be right, Ms. Dawn! I smiled. Don’t tell me the American forefathers stumbled into this realm!

Some of them, yes. Your Virginia has been an epic portal between our realms for centuries. There was even a time the human native tribes sent emissaries on a regular basis to our realm to exchange ideas and knowledge. Others stumbled into Demistrath while on vision quests. I remember when the great shift occurred, when the Europeans began arriving to the Americas. We sent scouts to watch what was happening in your world. It started out as what we thought would be simple visits, like the kind of visits we shared with the native tribes. After a time-limited stay, we assumed they would return to their own countries. Little did we know the European settlers would keep coming and permeating further and further into the land and take over by force, laying claim on territories and building their colonies. Before our realm and your realm could fully understand the magnitude of what was happening, it was too late. Our realm was never the same after the European invasion.

At this point, Dawn began to choke up, and a little tear trailed down her cheek. I sat very still to let her expel the wave of emotion. Remembering her actual age of over three hundred years, I quickly calculated she lived through much of our American history. There is nothing like having your freedom taken away, your choices robbed, your future altered, by more powerful others.

My ancestral people were brought to the Americas as slaves, I said quietly.

Dawn nodded and patted my hands. That is one of the reasons the council was willing to trust you. Your bloodline is a tapestry of strains and origins, unlike anything the oracle has seen.

Who is the oracle, Dawn? Where does she come from, how old is she, how does she live, what does she do? I remembered back to the meeting we had with the oracle, after Demistrath reclaimed the castle and decided on selecting the next queen. The oracle was brought to the castle from who knows where. She was an otherworldly person who resembled a cross between a pirate, a gypsy, and a shaman. Several of us gave blood samples to her, and she performed some kind of divination ritual over these samples, and without hesitation, she ordained me as the next queen. That was the last I saw of her until yesterday. She made an appearance at the castle for my coronation ceremony, providing some chants and burning sage bundles around me. The last thing she did was place one arthritic hand on my belly and stare into my eyes. Hers were unusual—one was bluish, and the other was solid black, like it was all pupil and no iris. I couldn’t tell if she was trying to communicate something with me. Then she dropped her hand and shuffled away.

Dawn had finished styling my hair. The oracle is legendary to Demistrath, Queen Eva. She lives deep in the forest and travels by a strange sleigh pulled by deer. No one really knows how she does it, so she is presumed to be a powerful witch or sorceress. She has uncanny abilities to divine things, see into things, into the future. We started calling her our oracle. The Queen Mother first consulted with the oracle for the benefit of Demistrath and the queendom. And her daughter, Queen Merideth, continued that relationship. The Elemental Council was in agreement, and so she became our special elder. But we don’t know her name or her history. She does not converse with us.

Today’s coronation activities involved a festival with a showcase of talents, offered by the queendom’s citizens as a tribute to the new reign. But the first plan for the morning was a sitting with an artist to begin painting my official royal portrait. My chamber maidens arrived to my suite to bring breakfast and tidy up the bed. One fed the dying fire with a pair of logs and some kindling. Since I was dressed by others now, there was more standing in front of a mirror than I was used to. Gone were my 1980s clothes and hair. The young woman staring back at me was dressed for a Renaissance fair! Dawn must have used magic, I thought. I looked so different. My brown skin shimmered and glowed, my face structure seemed less round and more defined, I looked older than my twenty years, and my hair was arranged in a sculptured updo with strategically placed corkscrew tendrils let loose to move gently around my face and shoulders. The gown I was dressed in today did not conjure the royal finery of yesterday’s ivory ceremony gown. This one I liked a lot; the fabric was emerald green and indigo blue, similar to the Guardian uniform. Gold-braided piping and a corded belt at the waist added some sparkle. I had pierced ears, and Dawn always found some magical or whimsical creation in her little bag of tricks to hang from my ears. How I was dressed now consisted of more layers of clothes and accessories than I was used to since I had never really played dress-up much as a kid. I guessed it was high time I had that experience.

The Guardian commander, Lurien, had been my escort yesterday throughout the festivities. Lurien looked dashing in the Guardian dress uniform. Even though Lurien came from an ancestral line of what the Demistrathians referred to as gender benders, a perfect blend of male and female physical attributes, the military-style uniform definitely played up the masculine side. Everyone referred to Lurien as they or them, not as him or her. I had read about androgynous people back in my human realm, particularly the celebrity David Bowie. I wasn’t sure if androgyny and gender benders signified the same aspect, and I didn’t really care about figuring it out. The person themselves was what mattered. I loved Lurien. I loved how sometimes the masculine side would present itself, especially in public and as commander. But in our times alone, the softer feminine side was present, and just two nights ago, by the firepit at the Guardian Glade, we shared many first kisses.

What are you smiling about, dearie? Dawn giggled as she placed the royal signet ring on my right hand.

I blushed. Oh, just all the lovely things from yesterday.

The portrait sitting begins soon in the great hall. Let’s get you downstairs. There had been a great deal of debate by the Elemental Council if I should be wearing the coronation gown with scepter and cape for the portrait or to let me wear my preferred look, which was more natural and less conventional. I asked for the latter and was relieved to see I was dressed that way for today.

CHAPTER TWO

I DECIDED TO ACCEPT the invitation to attend the full moon festivities after day 2 of the coronation. It was well after dark, and I was cloaked in a velvety cape of rich chocolate brown that fell around my shoulders. Dawn suggested I wear a more casual tunic over harem pants and soft moccasin ankle boots for my feet. My hair was taken down and relaxed around my face. It was smoother and longer than before, styled by the able hands of my right hand and trusted sage, Dawn.

Egeria from the Elemental Council, the water witch and keeper of the Book of Shadows, was sent to escort me, and I was surprised when she arrived on horseback, leading another horse for me. Several Guardians were mounted as well, and pulled up, surrounding Egeria, the clop and huff six horses made standing so high around me caused me to freeze. Just for the record, I had never been on a horse before. Egeria saw me pause. My lady, this is Honeysuckle, the queen’s Andalusian. You will not be harmed. I can assure you!

I was relieved to see Nemi dismount from one of the horses and step over to help me up. Nemi was the young Guardian specifically assigned to me as a bodyguard when I was removed from my cell in the castle and brought to the underground Hub of the Guardians’ operations. I had not seen him in the weeks following the battle for the castle. He hoisted me up onto the saddle and handed me the reins, as I felt a wave of vertigo lilt around me. There were no stirrups for my feet, but the shape of the saddle allowed my legs to bend in curved angles against the sides of this creature. I sat straight upright and glanced around me. Egeria was smiling and holding a guide strap.

I will lead the horse. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the ride. We moved off in a parade walk, slow and steady. Egeria’s horse flanked mine as she held the rope. We are going to the Field of Festivals. Every full moon year-round, the witches of Demistrath hold an open ceremony, each month observing the unique features of the lunar year. Since this one is the Corn Moon, there will be plenty of bounty from the first harvest. Egeria smiled mysteriously. She was wearing a white gown pulled up to her knees so she could straddle her horse, with tan suede knee-high boots. I hardly knew Egeria from my interactions with the Elemental Council, and now in such proximity, I felt suddenly shy.

Do they honor the moon phases in Virginia? Egeria asked.

I wasn’t sure how to answer that. Not in my community, but I would imagine there are those who do. We reference the full moon as a time when crazy stuff can happen, and it can bring out the wildness in animals and people, but I never gave it much thought.

That would be referencing a more primitive notion that the moon luna caused lunacy when it was full. That belief is quite antiquated here in Demistrath. The moon is so much more. In many ways, she is deeply magnetic and draws profoundly on matters of the heart. The sun rules the head, the place for logic and thought, ideas, inspiration. The moon, she is mother of our deepest heart-centered experiences.

The Guardians kept pace with our horses at a respectful distance, surrounding us on all sides. Nemi was in the lead. We had moved off the main road, leaving the village, and were crossing an expansive sloping field leading further into the valley. The sky was dark now, and the full moon was rising low in the horizon. It was huge and golden. The stars paled in her light. I just stared at the moon, seeing the shadows distinct on her face. A hush was everywhere, only the soft clopping of hooves, and occasional equine snort could be heard. I breathed deeply several times and felt my body relax and let go of all the day’s formal duties.

Egeria spoke. As the queen, this is the one place you can be yourself around others, without judgment or expectation. It has been a long time since the queen has attended our esbats, so we are honored to have you. Please know you are safe with us, and no harm will come to you. We keep the old ways alive here. We keep the ritual and celebration in its true and primitive way.

The distant sound of drumming floated toward us, and way up ahead, I could see the flash of dancing light from a bonfire. I wondered if Lurien would be here tonight, the Guardian commander who was detailed specifically to me and whom the oracle ordained as my escort and consort. Lurien made a brief appearance at the coronation festivities today but was otherwise gone. They had other duties, I presumed, as commander of the Guardians and chief protector of