Subj: Smoldering Flame Chapter 9
Date: 11/13/98 1:24:46 PM Central Standard Time
From: msann

Chapter 9

Roxanne tapped her fingers nervously against the pane glass of the airplane window. She had never been so scared or frightened of anything in her life. She knew she probably would have lived a longer life had she stayed behind in England, but there was nothing she wouldn't do for Barnabas and Jamie. She only hoped that in time Barnabas would be able to get over his insane infatuation with Laura and move in with his life, even if it wasn't with her. Looking out of her window, Roxanne began to reflect upon her life during the past year. She had finally solved the mystery of the room only to be given a greater mystery in the person of Laura. When Laura was gone, things were somewhat back to normal around the Collins estate, but now with her return, everything that had been built over the past 200 years threatened to fall away as though it were nothing.

Laura's evil poisoned everything and everyone around her. Roger was lucky he could escape when he did. Barnabas was not so lucky. In Roxanne's eyes, Barnabas' actions were not entirely his fault. She knew the person he was before Laura came around and the person walking around Alexandria was not he. He was some sort of black parody of the real Barnabas created by Laura's psychic powers as a phoenix that was bent only to Laura's every whim. The thought of anyone using psychic means to completely alter someone's personality angered Roxanne. She thought back to the time when she was a little girl and her powers had just been discovered. Her mother told her then that with power came responsibility. No matter what she did, it was imperative that people are allowed to make their own decisions and she was never to brainwash someone for personal gains. The fact that Laura would employ such unethical means of obtaining her goals further angered Roxanne. A conversation with Laura would be needed to confirm her hypothesis. Roxanne knew that Barnabas would know that she was on her way there through their psychic link. She knew that psychic links between people were not one way streets and if one knew what one was doing, one could control as well as be controlled. Barnabas was going to get a taste of what it was like to be controlled for once and help her accomplish her means. Normally Roxanne frowned on such use of her powers but all was fair in love and war. She vowed to herself that as soon as she got to Alexandria she would give Laura one more chance to give up on her plans or else Roxanne wouldn't be responsible for what she did to Laura.

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"Roger, darling, there is something I must tell you and I know you won't like it," began Cassandra.

"What's going on?" Roger asked with concern.

"Laura has returned."

"WHAT!! That's impossible! Laura died in a fire six years ago!"

"Yes, she did die then, but now she has returned."

"Returned! Oh my god, will it begin again? I must call Collinwood and warn-"

"It is too late for that Roger. Laura has David already. That was Julia on the phone just now. She said Mrs. Johnson told her that Nicholas and your sister came to Collinwood and took David away."

"Away? Away where?"

"I have reason to believe that they have gone to Alexandria, Egypt. Julia and Roxanne are investigating this as we speak. There, in Alexandria, Laura is to meet them and another she has in her power."

"Who?"

"Barnabas."

"Barnabas? This is preposterous. Barnabas arrived at Collinwood after Laura died. When did he know her?"

"Long before she met you. You see, she was married to Barnabas' uncle. Barnabas was only ten years old at the time. And as only a young boy could, he fell in love with her. Now, Laura is using those feelings to control Barnabas and use him for her purposes, which are to sacrifice Barnabas, David, Jamie and herself to Amen-Re to win his favor."

"That woman has Jamie too? Will she come after the twins as well."

"No. The twins are of no relation to her so they are safe. Laura is after Jamie because he is her son."

Roger was now completely bewildered. "How is that possible when Roxanne is the one who gave birth to him?"

"Roxanne was merely a surrogate mother. Laura first appeared over a year ago while I was still pregnant with the twins. She began an affair with Barnabas with the purpose of creating a child with great power to sacrifice to Re for his glory. Elizabeth, Julia, Quentin, Roxanne and I were able to stop her and just before she died, I helped Julia remove the embryo from Laura's womb and transplant it into Roxanne. We had hoped that would be the end of Laura for a long time."

"Why didn't anyone say anything about all of this to me?" asked Roger.

"We didn't want to hurt you, Roger. Laura was gone and everyone was happy again. We didn't have the heart to
destroy that happiness for you, Roger," pleaded Cassandra.

Roger looked at Cassandra and saw the sincerity with which she spoke written plainly upon her features. He knew in that moment that he could forgive Cassandra and the others for trying to protect him, but Laura who acted out of greed and selfishness could not be forgiven. He looked at Cassandra carefully before asking, "Do you have any idea how to stop this madness?"

"I am not fully certain, but I believe that we must destroy Re somehow in order to have a chance to free everyone. However, there are three things I must tell you before we continue. First, Nicholas is a warlock working for Diabolos, whom you might know better as the Devil. He has hypnotized Elizabeth into helping him complete Laura's plan. Second, Laura has used her powers already to change Barnabas into a vampire. Until Laura's influence is removed, he will be a very dangerous adversary to deal with. Right now he has Quentin protecting him in Alexandria. Julia believes she can cure him so he will not need to be staked. Third is that I am a witch. But I am not working for Diabolos as Nicholas is. I used my powers to help Julia, Quentin and Roxanne fight Laura because I could not just stand by while my friends and family were sacrificed to that monster."

Roger sat down for a moment to absorb what Cassandra had told him. If anyone else had told him the same thing, he would have thought him or her mad. However, this was Cassandra and he trusted her implicitly. "All right, Cassandra, we leave for Alexandria at once and so help me, if David or anyone else has suffered in the least I will see her in Hell even if I have to drag her there myself!"

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to be continued...