by Unknown
“I’m heading out in a little while for an overnight hike, and you?”
Hunter began rubbing the muzzle of a big, black stallion that poked its head over the stall. “I have a horse tour in a couple hours.” He peered over his shoulder sheepishly. “Jake going with you?”
Kaelyn smiled at the subtle note of jealousy in his voice. She studied Hunter as he occupied himself with the stallion. He was Caucasian and American Indian, very handsome, well-built, but for some reason, Kaelyn couldn’t picture being anything but friends with him. They had gone out on a date…once, but when it came time for the goodnight kiss, sparks never flew. Now, she wanted to remain friends, but he still pushed for something more.
“Jake’s sick,” Kaelyn said, “he called off today, so I’m heading out by myself.”
Hunter swung his head around. “Who are you giving the hike to? A married couple? A family?”
Kaelyn could see where this was heading. For some reason, the few guys in her life thought it was their job to protect her. She was fit, strong, and knew how to take care of herself.
“Hunter, please don’t start,” she said trying to avoid the same conversation she had had with TJ earlier. “It’s two college kids.” Quickly, she held up her hand when Hunter was about to speak. “I have my pepper spray, and yes, I have to check in with TJ every hour. It will be fine.” The side of Hunter’s jaw ticked and his dark brown eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he stalked out of the stable toward the office. Kaelyn ran after him grabbing his arm, stopping him. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
“I’m going to talk some sense into TJ,” he growled. “I’ll be damned if he lets you go into the woods overnight with two horny men!”
“College kids!”
“I know you can take care of yourself,” Hunter continued, ignoring her, “but damnit, Kaelyn-.“ Hunter looked down at the ground and kicked the dirt, creating a whirl of dust. He looked into her face. “All it takes is one stupid move from those guys and you’re at their mercy.”
“Hunter, please,” she said softly. “I need this.”
He shut his eyes for a brief moment, and then glanced down at her. “Feeling sick again?” he asked quietly. Kaelyn diverted her gaze, staring past Hunter’s shoulder into the trees.
She remembered when Hunter first joined Colorado Adventures around this time, three years ago. He was quiet at first, but Kaelyn knew he listened, watched, and studied everyone. He learned his job well and ascertained what kind of people he would be working with. In doing so, he discovered Kaelyn’s “little secret”. Shortly after they became friends, he asked her what was wrong. He had “sensed it,” he said. He teased it was the American Indian in him. After all, he did come from a long line of great chiefs.
Kaelyn made sure no one else knew about her condition, not even TJ. She was afraid that if she told him about her little problem, he’d pull her off the trails and make her answer phones all day.
“Why don’t you find a better doctor?” Hunter finally asked, breaking the silence. “Someone has to know why you get like this every six months.”
Doctors, she thought bitterly. They had treated her like a weird science project, sticking her with needles and giving her medicine that probably did her more harm than good. She went down that road once. She’d never go back. “I’ve seen specialists. There’s nothing they can tell me. Face it, I’m a freak.”
Hunter ran his finger gently under her chin, tilting it up to look at him. He grinned. “A beautiful freak.”
Kaelyn smiled and playfully batted his hand away. “Will you let me do this?”
“If I say yes, can I get you to agree to a date?”
“Sorry,” she said smiling. “Maybe, lunch…as friends.”
Hunter pulled her into his arms and held her in his warm embrace. He whispered in her ear. “I’m not worried. I’ll work my way into your heart, Kaelyn…someday.” Kaelyn playfully punched his chest and walked out of his arms and back to the stable.
* * * * *
Those cursed horses! Every time he tried to get close to the blonde, they gave him away. Had it been four attempts all ready? If only he could snag her and be done with it! From now on, he’d stay a step ahead of her. She might be more powerful than he. He didn’t have much time anyway, unless he wanted to wait for another six months. Ah, but he didn’t have that kind of time. He could feel his immortal brethren close by. Yes, Alexander was tracking him, growing closer everyday. In fact, he now roamed this very area.
A smile crossed his lips. He felt like he had no cares in the world, when in actuality, the world rested on his shoulders. He leaned forward from his perch on a large boulder and watched the exchange between the blonde and the dark-haired man.
The woman was quite attractive. Tall, lean, long blond hair with violet-blue eyes that seemed to peer into a man’s soul. She was the one. He knew. He had looked and traveled through hundreds of years searching for her. And he had finally found her, the one who held the key to his freedom. It seemed he had paged through endless history books searching for one small clue, one ancient bloodline. And now, he found her…Kaelyn, and he wasn’t letting her slip through his fingers. Hadn’t he prepared himself his whole life for this moment, this event?
A devilish grin crossed his face as the woman walked back into the stable leaving the young man with an expression of longing. “We’ll meet soon enough, my lass,” he said softly. “There isna much time for ye now.”
* * * * *
CHAPTER TWO
“Dude, look at the size of that cliff,” Bro-man said, one of two sandy blond-haired college boys trailing behind Kaelyn.
They were three hours into the hike and TJ and Hunter had nothing to worry about. The two surfer punks were skinnier than Kaelyn and seemed more interested in talking about extreme sports than focusing on their guide. Kaelyn walked a ways in front of them, glancing back over her shoulder every once in a while making sure they kept up with her.
Upon heading out on the trail, Hunter laughed after he interrogated them and told her to have fun “babysitting”. TJ came out and had the boys sign all the necessary papers. He had looked relieved when he noticed they were barely out of high school. He knew Kaelyn could easily kick their butts if she had to. Being more comfortable with the hikers, she now led into the dense woods, TJ said she only had to check in when they made camp, and first thing in the morning when they began their return trip.
The taller kid who called himself “Bro-man” pointed over to an outcrop of boulders covered with fallen trees. “I could like, ride my mountain bike over there and get some wicked jumps.” Kaelyn rolled her eyes, smiling to herself. Unexpectedly, a stabbing pain pierced her skull. Reaching out, she staggered sideways leaning upon a small aspen tree with one hand on the trunk and the other applying pressure on her throbbing temple.
Damnit! She should have known it was too good to be true when she hadn’t woken up in the morning with a headache. She only had a few more days and then the headaches, nightmares, and visions would leave…until the next six month mark.
“Hey, trail guide lady,” Bro-man asked coming over, “are you like, okay?” Kaelyn held up her hand stopping him.
“I’m fine,” she said as the nausea began. “It’s just a bad headache.”
“Dude, that like totally sucks,” Jay, the other boy, said as he came over to stand by his friend.
Kaelyn inhaled a few deep breaths and gingerly stood from her hunched over position. “We have about another hour of hiking and then we’ll make camp,” she said taking her backpack off. Hastily, Kaelyn rifled through her bag pulling out her first-aid kit. Frantically digging through the kit, she found the prescription bottle for migraines. Throwing back her head, she tossed a capsule down and chased it with a long gulp of water. In about fifteen minutes, the medicine would start to work. She’d be able to function again. “Why don’t we take a fifteen minute bathroom break?” she yelled over her shoulder at the boys. “I’ll wait here.”
Bro-m
an and Jay dropped their backpacks next to where Kaelyn sat against an aspen tree. Giving her one last look over their shoulders, they headed into the woods off the trail. Kaelyn let out a sigh of relief closing her eyes. Soon, she’d be able to lie down and rest. Exhaustion was one of the side effects of using the prescription. They’d have to make camp in the near future.
As she closed her eyes, sounds of nature surrounded her. She inhaled the crisp mountain air. Birds chirped, aspen leaves rustled from the slight breeze, and critters pitter-pattered over the forest floor. The sun shimmered down through the trees casting peaceful, flickering shadows. The sun’s warm rays were comforting at the high altitude they traveled. Pants and long sleeve shirts were still needed. In fact, they’d most likely come across patches of snow before they stopped to make camp for the night.
Kaelyn’s eyes burst open after a tingling sensation ran along her spine. She felt as though icy fingers walked up her back. At that moment, she knew someone watched her. She also knew it wasn’t one of the tourists she guided. Casually, she scanned the area around her. Nothing. Something moved off to her left. A dark shape stirred in the trees. The shadow moved so fast it became a blur. Panic rose in her chest. The shadows she conjured up only haunted her dreams. Nothing had ever been real. Maybe, she really was crazy.
“Dude, I’m so bringing toilet paper next time I come here.” Kaelyn whipped her head around to her right when she heard the two boys walk back from their break. She glanced back in the opposite direction where the shadow had lurked and scanned the forest. Whatever had been there, her tourists had scared off. Kaelyn’s heart slowed.
Swiftly, Kaelyn rose, dusted off her pants, and threw on her backpack. “Okay, let’s get a move on,” she said ready to go. “We want to have time to make camp before it gets dark.” And we need to get out of this stretch of woods, she thought.
* * * * *
“Yeah, TJ, we’re fine,” Kaelyn said talking into her satellite phone. “We made it to the summit. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Okay, bye.” Kaelyn pressed the “off” button and turned to Jay and Bro-man. As she stuffed her phone into the side pocket of her backpack, she said, ”Why don’t you two go find some small sticks and twigs so we can get a fire started before dark.”
“Like, sure thing tour guide lady,” Bro-man said heading out of the clearing and toward the looming pine trees. The sun hung low in the western sky, setting fast. It would probably be another hour before complete darkness, but they still had to get a fire started, set-up their tents, and cook dinner. All of these things were a lot easier to do in daylight.
“Like, do we both have to go?” Jay said slouched over a boulder.
Kaelyn put her hands on her hips clearing her throat. “Listen, you paid for an outdoor adventure. That means you do work too, not just your guide. You asked for an outdoor experience and you’re going to get one! It’s up to you if you want to eat a hot meal. I suggest you follow your friend and find some wood.”
Jay groaned slowly standing up. Bro-man snickered. “Like, she said ‘wood’,” he said gaining a laugh from his friend. Kaelyn shook her head and moved to the center of the grassy clearing to start preparing the fire.
* * * * *
His chance was now. The two imbeciles walked off in search of kindling, leaving the blonde all to herself. He could take her without them even knowing. Hopefully, she didn’t see him like she had before. That was a close call. No one could see him when he moved that fast, but she had. His stomach turned with unease. He was a druid warlock. He needed to be in-charge…all the time. He possessed all the power and had the upper-hand.
The two lads walked back into the clearing. He clenched his teeth. After a moment of careful contemplation, he decided he’d sacrifice the lads, making it appear as though wolves attacked. It was now or never. Alexander practically stomped on his coattails. Not much longer and his old foe would catch up with him. Then, the entire plan would be ruined.
He glanced back over at the blonde who now placed rocks in a circle on the ground. An eerie smile crossed his lips. He’d make his move.
Now.
* * * * *
Kaelyn glanced up to find Bro-man and Jay with their arms full of kindling. “That was fast!” she said impressed.
“We stumbled upon a huge pile of twigs and stuff over there,” Jay said nodding over his shoulder. He looked extremely pleased with himself.
“Yeah, like I think, someone made camp here before and left all this extra wood behind,” Bro-man chimed in.
“Good, that makes our job a lot easier,” Kaelyn said, kneeling down, continuing to form a circle of rocks for the fire pit. Maybe, she’d be able to lay her head down sooner than she thought.
“Like, who’s that?” Bro-man asked. Kaelyn, glanced up questioningly at Bro-man. She followed his gaze over to the trail they would continue to follow in the morning. In the middle of the path, a tall, muscular, blond-haired man stood, wearing what looked like clothing from the medieval period. Black breeches, a black tunic, and a black cape lined in red silk swirling around him. If the outfit didn’t disturb Kaelyn, the crazed grin across his face did.
Bit by bit, Kaelyn stood and cursed herself for leaving her pack across the campsite against a stump. She gripped the rock in her hand…just in case. “Can I help you?” she yelled over to the stranger as she slowly placed herself in front of Bro-man and Jay. After all, she was their guide. Didn’t that mean she was responsible for them?
The man’s smile grew bigger as he nonchalantly moved a few steps closer. What did he want? Where did he come from? And the scariest question of all, what did he plan to do?
Kaelyn gripped the rock tighter in her fist and made sure the jagged point faced out so it could do harm if she had to fight in hand-to-hand combat with the man. “I said is there something you need?” she yelled again.
The sinister man sidled forward, smiling again. “Aye, Kaelyn. There is something I need your assistance with.”
“Do you guys like know each other?” Bro-man whispered, leaning into Kaelyn. “Like, that’s your name, right?”
How did this stranger know her name? She knew she had never met this man before. Ignoring Bro-man’s comment, Kaelyn eyed her pack across the way. Her pepper spray canister stuck out from the side pocket. Could she make it in time? The tension between all parties involved crackled in the air. By the look on the stranger’s face, Kaelyn knew, he too, calculated his next move.
“How do you know my name?” Kaelyn asked, trying to buy time, for God knew what.
“I’ve been searching for ye for a verra, verra long time, a chroi.” Kaelyn’s forehead creased. Did he just speak Gaelic? Oddly enough, she’d bet her life he had, yet she had never learned any other language than English.
Kaelyn braced herself for a fight when the stranger began drawing closer. Without warning, Bro-man and Jay stepped out from behind Kaelyn blocking her from the stranger. Bro-man yelled out, “Stay back you weird Dracula looking dude!”
The stranger laughed. “Ye think ye can stop me? Two wee laddies against a warrior?” He laughed again continuing to move closer.
“You’ll have to go through us first if you want the trail guide lady!” Jay yelled, placing a hand on Kaelyn’s side. “No one’s hurting her!” Kaelyn raised her eyebrows in surprise. These two punks where trying to be her knights in shining armor.
The blond man laughed creating an eerie echo in the woods. “So, I have to go through ye, do I?” The boys both nodded bravely. “If ye insist,” was all he said. As if in a dream, Kaelyn watched what happened next in slow-motion.
The stranger walked straight up to Bro-man and Jay who held their fists up in the air ready to fight. The next thing Kaelyn knew, the stranger spread his arms out to his sides, and as if Bro-man and Jay weighed nothing more than leaves, they effortlessly flew up into the air. Kaelyn heard screams…of excitement? She could’ve sworn she heard Bro-man yell “far-out”.
The stranger’s arms flung down and both bodi
es hurled around trees with a sickening crack, both backs instantly breaking. Kaelyn’s mouth dropped open. Had that really just happened? A sob racked her body. Her stomach heaved. They couldn’t be dead. Just like that? Slowly, she swallowed the bile in her throat and narrowed her eyes at the stranger who now stood a few feet in front of her.
Through clenched teeth, she yelled, “You had no right! They were young kids. They wouldn’t have hurt anyone!”
Kaelyn gripped the rock so hard she felt the rough sharp edges cut into her hand as rage filled her. Bro-man and Jay were gone. Two lives cut way too short. An unfathomable hunger for revenge rose deep inside her. She hurled the rock at the man. It sailed past his head as he effortlessly dodged it. Kaelyn cried out in frustration. The stranger jumped toward her. She flung out her hand and the air rippled between them, sending the stranger stumbling back. He went down on one knee. He glanced up smiling.
Shocked, Kaelyn studied her hand, flipping it over. Had she sent him floundering backwards? She had felt some sort of strong energy radiate through her, but it could be everything else going on with her. She made a mental note to check the side effects of the migraine medicine…if she made it out of this. This can’t be real, she thought over and over. Because, if this was real, she had to believe in magic and ghosts and premonitions, and she didn’t believe in Harry Potter kind of stuff. Then again, this man, correction, monster, appeared to be straight out of a Harry Potter film.
Rapidly, the man lunged and circled his large hand around her neck. As soon as his skin made contact with Kaelyn’s, she jolted with an abundance of energy. A shock whizzed through her body in an uncontrollable spasm.
The last thing she saw, before falling into darkness, was the stranger’s evil smile and the whites of his eyes, which were nearly filled with murky blackness.
