The Crystal Rainbow Ch. 11-15

She gave the pair a look of mock horror and frantically patted her body as if she searched for the extra body part. When she saw that her humor did not achieve the desired result, she sighed.

"I must apologize if I frightened you, Christine. As Erik can attest, I suffer horrendous nightmares from time to time and that is why I called out. There is no rest for the wicked, my dear. And, I am very wicked."

The old woman gave a tired smile and Erik spoke softly to Helen in a language Christine did not understand. After a short exchange between the young man and old woman, Erik surprised Christine by placing a gentle kiss upon Helen's forehead. Christine blinked her surprise as Helen lifted her hand to Erik's cheek and gave it a soft pat. It seemed to Christine that as soon as Helen remembered her presence, the woman's demeanor reverted to her normal gruff and blustery persona. Christine turned to look out the window for a moment to hide her smile.

"These two constantly surprise me as they are never exactly what I expect. I knew they cared for each other, but I had no idea that their feelings ran so deep. Knowing that they have had one another to depend upon lifts a shadow from my heart. I can hardly believe that I feel so at peace sitting here with the two of them, especially after how furious I felt with Erik. But, I guess his kisses and caresses helped me find my way back to how I truly feel about these two. I am amazed! I have not felt this content since before my father fell ill. When I am with the two of them, I feel as if I am home. Yes, that is what this feeling is like. I am home."

She moved her gaze away from the window and returned her eyes to look into Erik's once more. Moments passed by the pair unnoticed as they sat holding hands. They gazed deeply into one another's eyes and drank deep of the emotions they found there. Emotions stirred to the surface only by the sight of their beloved's glance. And, when the passion contained in their eyes became too much, they closed their eyes and calmed their breathing by resting their foreheads together.

Helen sat with her arms folded across her breast and watched her niece and the young man she loved as a son.

"Oh, they are besotted with one another." She sighed inwardly. "I must tell them and there is no better time than the present."

Helen delicately cleared her throat.

"Christine, there is something you must know before you make your decision about accepting my offer of room and board."

The old woman held up her hand to ward off the young woman's stream of questions before they began to flow.

"Please, hear me out first. Then you may ask as many questions as it takes to fulfill the desire in your heart. Will you grant an old woman that wish?"

A tremor of apprehension ran through the girl's slight form, but she nodded her assent.

The old woman's pale blue eyes darkened into a vibrant sapphire blue and seemed to look upon something neither of the two young people could see. For an instant, Erik and Christine caught a glimpse of a raven-haired beauty sitting in the place of the old woman before the familiar wrinkled visage returned. Erik smiled softly as he recognized the face revealed to him on the first night he met Helen. Christine gaped in stunned silence and then blurted.

"You … you looked just like my mother did. Who are you?"

Helen's hands went to the chain she wore about her throat and pulled a filigreed gold locket from its resting place beneath the bodice of her gown. Her hands trembled as she fumbled briefly with the catch on the locket. Much like a 'jack in the box,' the locket popped open and leapt from Helen's fingers, stopped only by the length of chain holding it in place about her neck. She lifted the chain over her head and took the locket into the palm of her hand. A bittersweet smile pulled at the corners of Helen's mouth as she gazed down at the portraits inside the locket. She beckoned the pair to come closer and held out her hand so they could see the likenesses of two young women.

Two seemingly identical young women.

"I am the one on the right as I am the younger sister. The girl on the left is my sister, Christelle, my older sister … my older, twin sister. She died in childbirth 18 years ago. You grew up knowing her as Christelle Daae, but in keeping with our ways, the traditions of our family, it is customary for the name to pass from mother to daughter, not father to wife and offspring. Your mother's true name was Christelle Claudette de Blanc as mine is Hélène Manon de Blanc. I realize that you have no knowledge of your mother's family as your father, while being an honorable man and a good husband and father, did not understand or approve of us and kept you hidden from us. When your mother passed, your father informed us via the post then he took you and disappeared."

Christine appeared mesmerized by the pictures held in the locket. Without a thought, she scooped the locket from Helen's palm and held it up to catch the light streaming through the compartment's window. She tilted it first one way and then another as she intently studied the faces.

After a long pause, she lifted her eyes to Helen and whispered.

"You are my aunt?"

The old woman gave a slow single nod of her head.

The deep earthen-hued eyes turned to gaze upon the locket and then returned to the old woman's face.

"May I ask a question of you, Helen?"

Again, the old woman responded with a single nod. Christine's eyes fell to the locket and then rose to Helen's face once again. A frown tugged her mouth down and furrowed her brows.

"What happened to you?"

Erik hissed and Helen sighed.

"Erik, do not become upset. She has every right to ask, as she is a kin to the bloodline that caused me to look like this. Christine, do you wish to know what happened or why it happened?"

"Madame, I wish to know everything, so it would probably be best to start at the beginning. If I am a part of the de Blanc family, perhaps telling me something of their … our history would be the best place to begin. After the dreams I shared with Erik, I feel fairly certain there is something about our line, something that makes us different from other families. Is this true? No, wait …. Perhaps, a better question to ask is what makes us different from other families? I already know we are different, I just do not know why."

A genuinely amused smile pushed up the distorted corners of the old woman's mouth and her crooked teeth shone a brilliant white.

The gentle rocking of the train changed and it began to sway from side-to-side as the straight line of tracks became a long, deep bend and turned the train from its easterly direction into a northerly one. The new heading allowed golden rays of sunlight to streak directly into the compartment. One shaft of golden brilliance struck Helen's wrist, which resulted in a flash of rainbow colored light dazzling the occupants of the compartment.

"What was that?" Christine gasped.

Helen smirked, held out her arm, pushed up her sleeve and jiggled her wrist to show the bracelet to Christine. The young woman's breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard to clear it.

"May …. May I touch it?" She asked tentatively as she reached out a hand towards it.

Helen snatched her hand back and lowered her sleeve over the bracelet.

"Sorry, but no. You may not. It is not safe for you to do that yet. For although it calls to you, you must learn of it first. As with all things of power, it is a double-edged sword. So, ma petit belle, I shall tell you that the history of the de Blanc women and the history of this bracelet are one in the same. The lives of the eldest women in our family both control its power and fall under its control, as it is this bracelet, which makes us different. And, it is to this bracelet, which binds all of our lives. Even you, Erik, are bound to it as you felt its power on that night so long ago. I know not the where's, how's or why's of the bracelet. Those answers lost or hidden by its creators. All I know is that the bracelet has been a part of our family far back into time, longer than Paris has been a city. I found a scroll written in an ancient form of Latin and another written in what I believe might be a form of early Greek, but I am not sure. Anyway, those scrolls are a part of our heritage as the authors were our ancestors. My only regret is that I cannot read them. You see, I was not the one intended to wear the bracelet, but your mother was. From the moment of our births, our mother trained and taught her of it secrets and powers. I watched and learned as well, but I learned out of curiosity not need. And, that is why," the old woman paused and waved a hand toward her face, "this happened. I did not learn that compassion must walk hand-in-hand with power. I earned this face."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Thirteen – Diamanté

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diamonds are for royalty, luscious and rich.
Charms for the rest of us to savor each wish.

"A Fool's Book of Wisdom"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The words hung in the air, like an almost visible puff of smoke in the otherwise bright compartment. Christine's hand unconsciously moved to Erik's and their fingers once again intertwined. Helen allowed her eyes to rest on their joined hands for a moment as she drew strength from the bond that the two young people shared. She almost gasped out her shock as her mind brushed against theirs and she felt the depth and power of their love for one another.

"Ils semblent ensorcelé¹. Their love is a blessing and a curse, their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. Damn!"

The three companions sat in silence, Erik and Christine relishing the rich emotions, which swept through them and Helen contemplating how she should proceed. Christine broke the quiet moment, surprising Helen with her words.

"Very well, I suppose I accept that I am a part of your family, but my question to you is this, what exactly is the bracelet? You said that the power of the bracelet is a part of the de Blanc women.

What is the power of the bracelet? What does it do? And, if you know, why must a de Blanc woman wield it?"

Helen's wrinkled forehead lifted as she arched an eyebrow, causing the folds of skin to deepen. She shook her head as a corner of the gaping hole of her mouth turn upward in a smirk.

"Well, fuck me! Why is it that I feel surprised? I should know better than to think Christelle's child would be a fool! Fine! You asked the proper questions and I thank you for that, Christine. You need to know what the bracelet is and what it does before I tell you my tale."

Leaning forward, she pushed the sleeve of her dress back to uncover the bracelet once more. The crystals flashed and sparkled in the sunlight. Except for the rainbow prisms bouncing about the compartment each time a facet caught the sunlight, the bracelet appeared a simple charm bracelet. The delicate bracelet itself consisted of alternating large and small twisted-oval yellow gold links. The eleven charms hung directly from the smaller links and the larger links each had either a diamond-shaped or an oval-shaped crystal mounted in the center. The charms were in the shapes of stars, moons, sunbursts, rosebuds and a single heart³. All of the exquisitely shaped pieces of crystal were clear, colorless and pure. All of the crystals, except for the heart. The heart crystal was a deep blood-red and it seemed to draw the eye and speak to the soul of anyone that noticed it.

"Tell me what you dream …."

The words seemed to echo inside Christine's head as well as around the interior of the compartment. Christine shook her head to clear the sudden confusion she felt.

"What? Helen, what did you just say?"

The old woman sighed and lowered her sleeve. As soon as Erik lost sight of the bracelet, he let out a groan and quickly placed his hand to his forehead.

"What the hell just happened?" He moaned.

With pursed lips, Helen shook her head.

"Can you not behave? She is of the blood and he is most likely her mate. Do not make sport of them! I warn you!"

Helen sighed when she received no response from the surly spirit.

"I apologize. Sometimes it seems as if Diamanté cannot help herself. She feels compelled to tease, taunt and torment. She forgets how to behave whenever she is around, well, certain types of energy. And, the two of you seem to produce an abundance of the necessary stimulus for her to act a bit wild. You would think someone as old as she is would learn a bit more control."

The old woman seemed to mutter to her lap where the wrist wearing the bracelet lay. A single pulse of red light flashed through the cloth of Helen's sleeve and then the tension, which none of them had noticed until that moment ebbed away.

"No pouting and no more games! Behave yourself and be nice to them, Diamanté! The young woman is the next keeper of the bracelet and you should attempt to get along with her, as I believe the two of you shall hold the power for many years. Well, if all goes well, that is. Now, if you do not mind, I need to tell this young woman our tale."

"A story? You shall tell our story?" A pause. "Very well, old woman. You may proceed. For now, I shall remain silent. This may prove most entertaining."

Helen fought the impulse to roll her eyes and took a slow, deep breath.

"To begin answering your questions, Christine, the power of the bracelet varies from keeper to keeper. I am definitely one of the lesser wielders of the powers as I was not adequately prepared. Your mother, on the other hand, with her knowledge could have been quite powerful, but fear of the bracelet made her run from it. My mother used the bracelet with an awesome skill, but lacked passion. And yet, all wielders do have certain abilities in common. All of us can summon a rainbow, we can hear the truth or a lie in people's words and we hold the power to make some dreams come true. It took a great deal of effort, but my mother could summon or banish a rainstorm and she told me tales of her grandmother. Supposedly, that woman could cause lightning to strike when angered. She could also hear the thoughts of others and speak into the minds of people that were far away, but I do not know if this is true. All of the de Blanc women have the innate ability to cast charms, glamours and certain spells, if they receive the training. We also can hear the voice of the wind and the music of the movement of the trees. The power of the bracelet lies in the spirit, which lives within it. Her name is Diamanté. I do not know much of her history. Unfortunately, the two of us, well, we do not get along very well. I believe that our differences are mostly my fault, but there is nothing I can do to change that."

"You could change it, if you could go back in time and change the past, old woman!"

"Such things are not allowed. As you very well know, so please, be silent!"

"I will keep silent, but only because I choose to do so and not because you command me! You only have use of the power because I allow it. You are truly the least deserving of all the women in your lineage. I despise you!"

Christine stared intently at Helen for a moment and frowned.

"How can you allow her to speak to you like that?"

Helen gaped at the earnest young woman.

"You … you can hear her?"

Her frown deepened and she gave a small shrug.

"Well, besides being rather rude to you, she is rather loud."

The old woman chuckled. Erik looked at Christine, confused.

"Who is rude? My dear, who can you hear?"

As Erik's endearment registered in Christine's ears, she froze with her lips parted. The words she intended to utter stuck in her throat as a large lump of happiness swelled there.

Seeing the expression on Christine's face, Helen smirked and leaned forward. She carefully patted the young man's masked face and graced him with a gentle smile.

"She can hear the spirit of the bracelet speaking to me. It speaks with a voice that can only be heard within one's mind." Helen replied.

"And, I think her to be incredibly rude not to mention, cruel! Madame, why does she act this way towards you? Surely, you did nothing to warrant such behavior. I simply cannot imagine you guilty of any act, which would cause her to act thus. While I find you to be a bit crude at times, I believe you use that as a façade to protect your true self. What happened?" The young woman inquired.

Helen turned away and looked to the floor, her eyes filled with shame.

"Ah, dear little one! I only wish I were as innocent as you believe. I had a moment of weakness and used the power of the bracelet in a way that was not proper. I used it to wreak my vengeance upon a man that stole my innocence from me. I did not intend for him to die, but he did. And, now I must spend the rest of my life in penance as I seek absolution for my sin. The power of the bracelet is never to be used selfishly or in anger and I did both. In Diamante's mind, I committed the one unforgiveable act. Through my fury, I caused her power to kill. She will never forgive me, nor will she allow me to forget either. However, now that I have found you, I find myself hoping that I can help put things aright by helping you claim your birthright. Perhaps, then I can find some measure of peace. At least you have given me hope, Christine. Hope that I may find forgiveness for my sin."

"You shall find neither peace nor forgiveness, Crone. Not unless you make your confession to the little one."

"Hush, Diamante! Why do you think I say these things to the child? Confession is exactly what I intend to do. I only need you to remain silent long enough for me to do so."

"Very well. Please, proceed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

¹"Ils semblent ensorcelé." Translation: They seem bewitched.

² Charms go back as far as the Neolithic period where man would pick up an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to ward off his enemies. Elaborate jewelry made of precious stones and metals emerged during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs. It was during this time that the first recognizable charm bracelets and necklaces first appeared.

Like people of many ancient civilizations, the citizens of ancient Egypt lived very short lives by today's standard – 30 to 40 years on average. With so little time on earth, they obsessively prepared for a prosperous life after death. Charm bracelets played a significant role in the preparation process. Charm wrist and neck bracelets were not only coveted as protective shields and signs of status in this life, they were also worn as ID tags to help the Gods guide the wearer and his/her possessions to the proper status level in the afterlife. Kind of an "if found, please return to" note from home. (Courtesy of MyMothersCharms.com)

³ When a person wears a charm bracelet, each charm has a meaning. Here are the meanings of some of the charms on Helen's bracelet: Heart Charm – True love will find you. Rose Charm – You will have a life of beauty. Star Charm – You will have your wishes granted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Fourteen – Homecoming

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To travel the world is a pleasure sublime
when the treasure of homecoming is certain in time.

"A Fool's Book of Wisdom"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Helen opened her mouth to begin her confession, but a knock on the compartment's sliding door interrupted her. Before anyone could respond to the rap, the door slid open and a tall, rather effeminate man with a thin, black mustache stuck his head through the opening.