by Mona Hanna
The clouds above them became grey and dark. Ariel stood, frozen, at the center of the tempest. The wind swirled around her, howling, screaming. She maintained control of the storm. Thunder crashed above them, interspersed with more lightning. Brayden shivered in the now freezing temperature. Ariel didn’t move. The air around them screamed, building until it erupted in a thundering cry. Ariel held her face up to the sky, the elements under her control.
Finally, she lowered her arms. The sounds began to fade. The storm began to dissipate. Gradually the wind died down, the clouds became lighter and grew apart, the thunder and lightning dissolved. Eventually, things were as they were. Ariel looked over at Brayden, the faint white light still touching her skin. He rose and slowly approached her. He stood before her in amazement.
“That...” he began, then had to clear his throat. He was still stunned. “That was astonishing. Ariel, you’re amazing. I don’t know how you did that.”
She smiled at him, the glow around her fading, her skin returning to normal. Brayden looked around them, wanting to capture this moment; take advantage of her control of her powers.
“Try to lift one of those rocks,” he said, pointing to a small pile of rocks in the distance, similar to the pile that had been in the yard at the inn.
Ariel turned to them, and held out one arm. She moved one of her fingers, and a grey, fist-sized rock rose from the pile, hovering in the air. She moved her fingers again, then the other rocks joined the first, delicately balanced at head height, floating as if they were on water, as light as leaves. Ariel flattened her hand, and the rocks gracefully dropped back down to the ground. She turned to look at Brayden. She smiled.
“It’s easy, now,” she said. Brayden moved up to her and drew her into his arms.
“You’re wonderful,” he breathed, embracing her, holding her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Brayden smoothed his hand over her hair. He couldn’t believe how amazing she was. He held onto her, mesmerized by her. His body was tingling just holding her. He felt her tremble.
“I hope I can save us,” she said, her breath against his neck. He couldn’t take it any more. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her, hungrily moving his mouth over hers, his other hand clutching her hair. She held onto him and he pressed her against him, unable to control his feelings for her. He groaned, loving how she tasted, the feel of her lips, the touch of her tongue moving with his. They clung to each other, unaware of anything around them. He couldn’t believe how good it felt. He began kissing her neck, and she moaned in his arms. His body was on fire for her.
“Oh, Ariel,” he breathed, wishing more than anything they were somewhere private. He was desperate for her. He kissed her lips again, then held her to him, his heart racing. She put her arms around his neck, and gently nibbled his ear. He couldn’t breathe.
“We should get moving,” he said, barely remembering his own name. “We can’t...I mean...we have to...oh, Ariel, you have to stop that.”
She laughed, stepping back a little from him. He gazed at her, consumed with thoughts of her. She looked back at him, a mischievous smile touching her lips. Oh, how he loved her.
“Not here, not when we’ve got a madman after us,” he said, kissing her roughly then taking her hand, leading her back to their things. She laughed again. He was addicted to her. Her laugh, her touch, her beauty — but, really, her. Her heart. Her soul. He wanted to love her for the rest of his life. To protect her. To always be with her. He wouldn’t be able to stand it if he lost her. He would do anything to keep them together.
***
They lay in bed at another tavern that night, after traveling for the rest of the day. Brayden lay on his side, staring at Ariel, lying with her naked after they’d finished making love. Their arms were stretched out, holding each other. She wasn’t embarrassed in front of him anymore. Their bond was stronger now. She had a small smile on her lips, gazing into his eyes. He looked at her, his heart full.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she asked him. He looked at her, wondering if he should say it. Wondering if he could.
“I love you, Ariel,” he said. She looked at him fondly, then gently kissed him. He brought her close to him, cuddled her against his chest. She sighed.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. “More than anything. More than you could possibly know.”
They lay in silence. Brayden closed his eyes, not wanting the moment to end. He held her gently, loving how she felt against him. She loved him. It was all that mattered.
“Brayden?” Ariel asked a while later, a question in her voice.
“What is it?” he said.
She hesitated for a moment. “You know we can’t run forever,” she said quietly. “I’ll have to fight the other High Witch eventually.”
Pain cut into his heart at the thought. “Don’t think about that, Ariel. That’s not an option. We have to keep running. It’s the only thing we can do.”
“But Brayden, you said she saw me go to the inn, and meet you. What’s to stop her seeing where we go next?”
He shut his eyes, clenching his jaw. The thought had occurred to him, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. He wanted them to keep moving, because at least they were doing something. Moving stopped him dwelling on the thought of Julius and his witch catching up to them. Stopped him dwelling on the fact that Ariel was right — they’d find them, eventually. He faced her, and looked at her with sadness.
“Do you really think you could kill her?” he said. “Because that’s what it would take, Ariel. You’d have to destroy her. And, while your powers are amazing, she has years of experience over you. If we keep running, at least we have more time. More time together. I don’t want...”
His voice broke, and he shut his eyes tightly. She kissed him, and he held onto her. He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to face it.
“I can’t lose you,” he whispered. She kissed him again, and again. She kissed away the solitary tear that rolled down his cheek. She put her hands on his face and brought his head to rest against her chest. He held her tightly. He wanted to stay in her embrace forever.
“It’ll be alright,” she said. “It’ll be alright somehow. You saw what I did today. That wasn’t nothing, Brayden. That wasn’t nothing. And her heart is full of darkness and hate. My heart is full of love. You can’t tell me that’s not more powerful.”
He loved her hope, her belief. “I hope you’re right,” he said. She stroked his hair.
“You’ll see,” she whispered. “Love will win. Somehow, love will win. Trust me. I believe it with all of my heart.”
He held onto her. They lay in each other’s arms all night. Brayden fell asleep listening to her heartbeat. He dreamed of standing with her in a field, her in a white dress, getting married to him. He dreamed of love winning. He dreamed of love winning.
Chapter 9
They kept traveling for the remainder of the week. Ariel practiced using her magic whenever they stopped to rest. She was able to cast many different spells, with more strength, more power. She learned to control her powers with a much tighter hold. Brayden was astounded at how much she was learning, so quickly. He was barely teaching her anything. It was all her. She was amazing. He could hardly believe it.
On the evening of the seventh day they stopped at an inn, a larger, better place than the others they had been staying at. They rented their room, then sat in the dining room, glad for a hot meal. The large space was warm, lit by candles, the buzz of people chattering filling the air. Brayden felt warmed by the atmosphere. It helped him ignore the growing feeling in his stomach that Julius was catching up to them. They ate their dinner of chicken and vegetables, sitting near the fireplace, at a long table a little away from the other guests. He glanced over at Ariel.
“Are you alright?” he asked her. She nodded.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just tired.”
He squeezed her hand. “You’ve been working so hard. You deserv
e to rest.”
She smiled at him, but it didn’t touch her eyes. She really was worn out. Brayden knew she’d been training in preparation for the fight with the other High Witch. She fiercely believed it would happen soon. She wouldn’t let go of the notion that she had to kill her. It tore Brayden up inside. He wished he could do more. But he knew it was really up to Ariel.
They gradually finished eating, and sat quietly, enjoying the fire. Brayden stroked her back, gazing at her. Ariel leaned against him, snuggling up to him as he put his arms around her. He wondered what she was thinking.
“I don’t want you to worry too much, Ariel,” he said softly. “I wish I could take away some of your burden. I wish I could protect you.”
“You are,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to use my magic if it weren’t for you. You protect me by teaching me. And you protect me by loving me.”
His heart swelled, and he wanted to do something special for her. He wanted to calm her, to relax her. He kissed her hair, then made her sit back.
“Let’s go to our room,” he whispered, and she nodded. They stood and walked from the room, climbing the stairs. Brayden started the fire and lit some candles, while Ariel sat on the bed. Warmth filled the air, along with a soft light and the sound of the blaze crackling. Brayden went and sat beside Ariel, putting his hands on her upper arms. He looked at her, and she gazed at him fondly. He leaned forward and gently kissed her. He moved his lips to her ear.
“Let me show you how much you mean to me,” he whispered, making her tremble. He kissed her again, softly, sweetly, not wanting to rush things. His fingers brushed the skin below her collarbone, moving down to the fabric at the top of her dress. She let out a little sigh. He kept gently kissing her, then began to undo the laces fastening her dress. He unthreaded the string, his fingers moving lower, brushing over her chest as the dress became undone. She curled her fingers in his hair, moaning, her breathing becoming ragged. He took in his breath as he pulled the dress down from her shoulders, and she took her arms out of the sleeves. His heart was thudding loudly in his ears.
He lay her back on the bed, removing the dress, leaving only her thin under tunic. He began kissing her neck, moving his lips to the soft skin below. She moaned in ecstasy, her fingers still in his hair. His body was burning for her.
He removed his clothing, then lay over her, his hand running up her thigh. Their eyes were locked together, their breathing heavy. He lifted her tunic over her head, then kissed her passionately. She clutched his back, and he began to make love to her. He moved with her slowly, trying to make it last as long as possible. He kept kissing her. She gasped with pleasure. He grunted as the feeling increased, sped up. It felt so good. It felt so right.
They kept moving together, clutching each other, then they cried out when it was over. He lay over her, gasping for breath, his heartbeat racing. Eventually their passion died down, and they lay in each other’s arms, drifting off to sleep. He’d never felt so content before. It almost made him forget.
It almost made him forget.
***
Brayden’s eyes flew open to the sound of Ariel screaming. He shot up in bed, staring at her in the early morning light. She was breathing heavily, then hurriedly got out of bed. She began to put on her clothes.
“Brayden, get dressed. Now.”
He frowned. “What’s wrong?” But he knew.
“Now, Brayden!” she screamed. “We have no time. She’s — they’re...” she screamed again, her fingers fumbling as she put on her dress. Brayden got out of bed and reached for his clothes. They finished dressing, then Ariel stood there, taking huge breaths.
“I saw it — a vision — it happens today,” she gasped out. Brayden gritted his teeth. He felt sick.
“Ariel, look at me,” he said. She stared at him, her eyes wild, her face flushed. He went over to her and grasped her arms.
“You can do this. I know I doubted you, I know I wasn’t supporting you enough. But I know with every part of me you can do this. You’re strong, you’re brave, you’re powerful. You’re everything you need to be. She’s nothing, compared to you. She’s not even half as much as you are. You can do this.”
She nodded, shutting her eyes, breathing deeply. He held onto her, but he knew they couldn’t stay there long. She took his hand, then they were spinning, and were standing at the front of the inn. They stood in a large, empty space, the ground bare and hard beneath their feet, the street vacant beside them. They waited.
An eerie silence surrounded them. It was as if no one was awake but them. Even the birds were silent. Ariel stood there, her fists clenched. They couldn’t see anyone approaching them. The anticipation cut into Brayden. He wished he could do something.
Finally, finally, there was a whirl of dark smoke across the large space, and two figures materialized. One was a very tall man, middle aged, with short greying hair and dark eyes. The other was a tall, slender woman, twice their age, with long dark hair and very pale skin. The duo stood there silently, looking at Brayden and Ariel. Brayden recognized Julius, even though he’d never seen him before. He didn’t know the witch’s name. But he knew who she was.
Brayden squeezed Ariel’s arm then walked away from her, stepping close to the wall of the inn. She was staring fiercely at the other witch. Julius followed Brayden’s suit, also walking away. The man stared coldly at Brayden. Brayden hated him with every part of him.
Julius held out his hand, a ball of fire appearing above it. He clenched his fist, and it evaporated into smoke. He continued staring at Brayden coldly, his lips in a thin smile. Brayden wondered why Julius wanted to remind him that he was a warlock. Then he realized. Jealousy. He had Ariel, and Julius wanted her. Julius craved her. Brayden wanted to strangle him.
“Nadia,” Julius called, turning to the witch. “You may begin.”
Chapter 10
Nadia began to walk towards Ariel purposefully. Ariel remained still, standing firm. Nadia took a few more steps forward, then stopped. She raised her right hand.
She pointed her index finger at Ariel, turning it in a circle. A green light streamed from her finger, a shimmering string, curling and twisting its way towards her. Ariel stood there, staring in confusion. The string of light floated closer, then began to circle her. Ariel screamed as the string tightened around her skin, binding her, wrapping itself tightly around her whole body. She struggled on the spot.
“Ariel, fight it!” Brayden screamed, and she looked at him in horror. She stood there for a moment, then clenched her fists and shut her eyes. Her skin began to glow, a white light radiating from her. Nadia ran towards her, pulling at the green string, but the glow from Ariel became stronger, shining out, blindingly bright. The binding shattered to pieces, shards of green clattering to the ground. Ariel opened her eyes and growled at Nadia. She flattened her hands, spreading out her fingers.
Ariel pushed out her arms. A scorching wind began to blow around them, hot, filled with dust and leaves. It whirled towards Nadia, circling around her. Flames appeared in the wind, flickering brightly, growing close to her. Nadia screamed.
She held up her arms, and an enormous flash of lighting streaked across the sky over dark clouds. There was a booming crash of thunder, then rain hammered down, drenching them, extinguishing the flames. The two witches stood there, breathing heavily. The rain poured down, then finally ceased. Brayden was petrified.
Simultaneously the women held out their arms towards each other, white light pouring out of Ariel’s hands, red light streaming from Nadia’s. The colors hit each other, two walls of radiance forming, high and wide. Ariel walked forward, arms outstretched, pushing her light onto the other witch. Nadia stumbled, the red light falling back towards her. She took a step backwards, then stomped her foot down, hard and loud.
The ground rumbled beneath them, as if it was an earthquake. Ariel lost her footing, tumbling to the ground, her light disappearing. The red wall screamed towards her, but she transported away, appearing n
ext to the door of the inn. The ground stopped shaking, the red light faded away. Ariel lay there, gasping for breath. Nadia laughed wickedly.
She raised her right hand and a sword appeared in her grasp in a flash of light. She spun it around, then magically transported so she was in front of Ariel. She pulled back the blade, about to plunge it in, when Julius screamed at her.
“No! Don’t kill her!” he yelled. “Just capture her!”
Nadia faltered, and Ariel grasped the hand that held the sword and forced her to drop it. She leapt up and shoved Nadia to the ground, stepping on her stomach so she couldn’t transport away. The sword flew into Ariel’s grasp, and she lifted it high. Nadia cried out in terror.
Nadia thrust out her hand towards Brayden, a knife appearing in the air and hurtling towards him. Brayden stood there in horror, frozen to the spot. Ariel screamed, dropping the sword and transporting so she appeared in front of him. The blade embedded itself in her shoulder. She slumped back, falling against him.
“Ariel!” Brayden screamed, holding onto her, falling to his knees. Julius began yelling at Nadia. Brayden knew they had to get out of there, fast.
“Ariel, you have to transport us out of here!” he yelled, holding her tight. She was barely conscious. “Ariel, please!” he screamed.
Nadia suddenly appeared before them, then reached down to grasp Ariel by the arms. Brayden dragged her away.
“No!” he screamed. He knew Nadia could kill him in a heartbeat, but the one thing they both had working for them is that Julius didn’t want them dead. He dragged Ariel further back, then begged her one more time to transport them out of there. She groggily grasped his arm, then they were spinning.
They appeared in a small street filled with buildings, in a nearby village. Brayden breathed raggedly, unable to contain his shock. Ariel finally lost consciousness, and tears began to run down his face. He screamed for help.
