by R. G. Porter
Alayia watched as his lips began a slow descent to hers, time standing still with each breath she took. Seconds before his lips could touch her skin he shifted his body to position his mouth close to her ear, his breath a caress sending her heart thundering in her chest.
"Those close to me call me Gabriel.” Fleeting memories of lives she couldn't recall passed through her vision in a kaleidoscope of colors. Emotions and feelings, each with such intensity to them that it brought tears to her eyes flashed through her mind. Her hand dropped to her side, her knees giving way to the ground.
"Oh gods I don't feel well.” She needed to get to her room and fast. Bombardments of memories she didn't understand pummeled her mind. Try as she might, she couldn't lift her head, the instant vertigo more intense than she'd ever had before. So many thoughts raced through her mind, voices of those she didn't know yelling at her to remember things she didn't understand. She tried to grab hold of one thought but they flew by so fast she found herself spiraling out of control, her stomach knotting with the lack of control. Where was she? What was happening to her?
"What's wrong?” He was concerned. Good, so was she.
Alayia could barely speak, her hands trembling as the onslaught of images she couldn't understand continued to filter through her mind. “I need to get back to my room. Please help me. I'm seeing things, strange and unusual images that I don't understand.” Gabriel's hand reached to her as dawn began to push back the night. How had she lost so much time being with just one man? Another wave of pain rushed through her as the sun began to break into what remained of the night.
"Blast it all to hell. No not now.” His tirade of words normally would have made her blush but with her head about to explode she didn't care. “I swear the nights are getting shorter.” If the pain hadn't been so tense she would have agreed with him.
"What's wrong?” Her voice stuttered as more pain exploded through her head.
His hand dropped from her arm, a frustrated grunt escaping his lips. “I'm sorry, but I have to go. I've stayed past my time, I have no choice.” Oh gods no, he couldn't just leave her. Alayia's mind screamed out in pain. “I am very sorry. The night moved too fast. I cannot stay."
"You can't leave me here like this. I can't move.” She probably could, but not very well. She needed his help and he was abandoning her. Fear surrounded her mind in its cold grasp.
"You will be fine. You are strong; I sensed it when I first saw you. I have to go or very bad things will happen.” Seconds passed by and she knew he was going to leave her when she felt the brush of his finger across her cheek. “I'm sorry...” Alayia could hear his footsteps approach the thick confines of the forest his breath gasping from his chest.
"Alayia.” He'd given his, she felt honor-bound to provide hers. Somehow she felt oddly connected to this man and at least if he had her name they wouldn't be strangers any longer.
"Alayia... Such a beautiful name for an exquisite woman, it is wonderful to meet you. Take great care during the daylight hours dear Alayia for many dangers lurk around the corner. Safety can only be obtained at night.” Was he warning her of something? She, unlike most, knew exactly what kind of dangers there were.
"Gabriel?” Silence her only answer confirmed he was gone. “Great.” How much time passed she wasn't sure. The dawn had finally won out against the night although the sun hadn't broken over the horizon yet. She knew the sun would rise soon enough but she had to get back to her room and rest or else go insane from the pain that continued to rush through her. Her only lifeline had been Gabriel and he'd left in a hurry. Now she was alone and in pain.
"Miss?” An older man's voice pierced through her skull like a thousand knives. “Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. I just had a small dizzy spell.” Gods how she hated to play the dainty female, but in town she didn't want to drudge up too much suspicion.
"Here, let's get you back to the Inn. Perhaps some water and food will do you good. Have you been up all night?” She could answer him but what good would it do. Her life was personal and she didn't need anyone being nosy.
"I arrived in town late last night and haven't had a chance to rest as of yet. I fear I've spent too much time up and it's taking its toll on me. The night kind of passed me by faster than I'd expected.” There, let him chew on that answer for awhile.
"Fair enough.” His hand grabbed her wrist, his fingers wrapping tightly around. Her head snapped up at the sudden images that raced through her mind, the evil that the man possessed knotting her stomach in two. He'd harmed many in the past and enjoyed it time and again. He had plans to do so again and this time his focus was directed on her.
"Please let go. You're hurting me.” Something was very wrong about the man. Even his eyes held a wildness that wasn't sane.
"Now don't be such a ninny, Missy. You'll be fine in due time. I'll see to everything.” His words bit at her with an underlying meaning she couldn't figure out, nor did she want to.
Fear pooled in her stomach at the thought of what he might have planned. Bits and pieces of images flashed through her mind, none of it helping to ease her fears. “We are near the Inn, if you don't let go I'll scream.” Never in her life had she screamed for her life but she wasn't about to forgo that option now. This man terrified her more than anything had in the past. Alayia puffed her hair out of her face, perhaps that thought wasn't completely true. The lord she'd met earlier had been far worse, but this man had insanity in his blood. That made him dangerous and unpredictable.
The man struck without warning, landing a savage backhand to the side of her face and sending stars shooting across her vision. The pain coupled with her lack of balance sent her careening backwards to land on the hard dirt, her head smacking the ground with a thud. “I told you I would see to everything. Now look what you made me do.” The reality of her situation drove straight to the core of her soul, her fear being replaced by the need to get away. She'd lived through a dragon attack, she'd be damned if she was going to let this man get the better of her.
"Get away.” Her head spinning, Alayia tried desperately to focus. She had to make it to safety or the man would do something worse. She could try for the Inn, but she had a good idea it wouldn't matter; he could outrun her in a second. Closing her eyes, she bided her time relaxing her body and allowing her senses to flare out. Alayia waited, her breath held for the moment she knew would come. He was insane and reckless. He believed she was a woman who was weak and she banked on that assumption. She could hear him move, his feet hollow on the ground. He inched closer but she didn't move. She needed him to be as close as she could handle for just the right moment... like now.
Without another second's thought Alayia used every bit of strength she had funneled up inside and kicked with her leg connecting with the man's diaphragm. The momentum and force of her kick sent him flying back, giving her just enough time to get up and run.
She turned to face the Inn only to find that the man lay directly in her path. Damn, she thought, just my luck. Why couldn't the man fall the other way? Instead of trying to get around him Alayia opted for the next best option... the forest. Alayia snatched her bag from the ground and began to sprint into the thick underbrush of the woods. She could hear the man behind her regain his balance, his voice a herald of obscenities aimed directly at her. Fear pulsed through her veins, edging Alayia further into the density of the forest. She could hear the man behind her his temper flaring with each step. God help her if he caught up. He was insane, there was no doubt about it, and he planned to kill her. Why though? Was it random? Had something been said? Questions pounded her mind but she pushed them aside for the moment. She needed to focus on the more pressing issue, finding safety and losing him fast.
"I'm going to catch you Missy and when I do, you will pay dearly.” His words oozed across her skin. Her soul froze at the menace in his voice. The man was evil, pure and simple. “Run as fast as you can but I'll find you. I find what I hunt for."
Where are you, G
abriel? Her mind screamed out into the unknown. Why had he left when he did? Had the man been waiting? Alayia's feet took her deeper into the forest, the shrubbery whipping against her bare legs in a fury. Her vision took in everything around her but found only trees and bushes yet nothing to help conceal a grown woman. For once in her life, she wished she could use magick as the old women used to talk about when she'd come to visit them at the market. They'd always mentioned the old ways and how they'd been forgotten by the youth. Now more than ever she wished she'd learned about the past.
"I hear you Missy. I'm gaining on you. Can't you feel me close?” The pure hatred she felt in his words stung against her skin.
Keep running. Don't stop. There... Up ahead. Make a sharp turn to the right. There was that voice again. It was the familiar female voice from before. Why did she feel she knew the woman?
Who are you? Do I know you? Alayia kept her concentration on following the directions even though her mind was reaching out to locate the path back to the voice. Laughter brushed the inside of her mind filling her with warmth.
You will know me in due time. Now hurry. Alayia continued forward till she felt the voice stir in her mind indicting the time to take the right turn. There, in the distance, there is overgrown foliage. You can hide underneath it but you must hurry. Urgency pushed through Alayia's body and she knew it was from her connection to the woman. A shadow began to creep across her soul, a coldness that felt almost carnal. Hurry! You must hurry! There isn't much time. She knew the voice was right. She'd felt the sensation once before.
Robert. The memory of her brother's broken body flooded her vision, her eyes misting as she remembered. “No. Not again.” Alayia picked up speed, her feet moving to the spot the voice had indicated. Refusing to become another casualty of the dragon she ducked down, forgetting about the other beast that pursued her. Would the beast above or the one on the ground find her? Either way she didn't care. She couldn't run further. A sound to her left caught her attention. The moment her eyes locked with the man who'd followed her, wings from above broke through the silence.
Be still and breathe easy. There was the voice again. She really needed to take a break and rest soon. Never in her life had she been contacted so much by one person. Alayia watched as the man emerged from the thickest of the underbrush his face red from expending so much energy.
"I'm close Missy I can feel you. You will die but not before I enjoy every tasty morsel you have to offer.” Bile raised in Alayia's throat. The thought of such a man coming close to her sent her stomach into convulsions. “You will never be found Missy. You shouldn't have left your home. Now you will never see another day.” His threats fell on deaf ears as the sounds from above increased in her mind.
Cover your head now. Don't watch! At the insistence of the voice Alayia curled into as small of a ball as she could, covering her ears from the surrounding chaos. The woman had to have known about the dragon and had led her directly into its path. She'd made sure to have it take care of the man. How did she know?
"Where did you go you harlot? You were out all by yourself; you know this is what you like.” The bite of his words hit like a ton of rocks. He thought she wanted this? Was the man daft? She had been in pain when he approached. A thought trickled into her mind, one that she didn't want to consider. Had Gabriel set her up?
NO! Power unlike anything she'd ever felt before surged through her body from the woman's voice. He would never have done that. This man is ill, evil to the core. Tune him out as you did Lord Elroy. Tune him out now. Alayia did as she was told, a compulsion she couldn't understand pulsing through her body. If she thought about it, she actually felt as if the voice had taken over part of her, forcing her will to abide by her commands. Her hands re-cupped her ears as a cocoon of warmth wrapped around her muffling the sounds.
"I see you in the distance. You are going to pay dearly for running.” She could barely catch his words but the venom in his tone couldn't be missed. A shadow from above crossed her skin; a cry of denial broke through her concentration. “No. It can't be.” The man's voice had turned from anger to fear in a blink of an eye. A barrage of screams and gurgles penetrated through her hands only to reverberate through her mind. The dragon had seen him and descended. There was no doubt about it. She couldn't look, didn't want to know what was happening to the man.
Breathe deep Alayia. Your brother was an accident and shouldn't have suffered from the death he was given. There is more at work here than you realize. Things are not as they seem. Don't let the present cloud your thoughts. This man does not deserve your sympathy. The truth of the woman's words held but it didn't lessen the sting of her loss. Yes the man was evil but did he really need to die like this? She wasn't so sure. The dragon was just as evil and she was even more determined to locate and kill it. Even if it meant she died in the process.
No. You can't kill the dragon. Confusion and curiosity replaced her fear.
Why not and who are you? She was sick of trying to put the pieces of her mind back together and having someone meddling inside it didn't help.
You will find out. I can't tell you now; there is much you will need to understand. Truths you need to uncover, lies and wrongs put to rest
But tell me your name at least.
You know it, think and you will hear it in your soul. Just remember your past. Always riddles. It was never easy, she hated the fact she could never find a straight answer. Why make it easy on her. Her life had been nothing but an uphill fight, why stop now? Regardless of what the voice told her she would find the dragon. She'd vowed it to her dead brother and she never broke promises. Alayia could hear a sigh echo in her mind. You can leave now. It is safe. How could she know? Did she have control over the dragon? Did she bid it to do the killings? Another laugh rang through her mind, the sound something she swore she remembered from long ago.
"Who are you lady?” Alayia's voice drifted on the morning breeze. The shadow had gone so she knew the dragon wasn't close but she still didn't want to chance an encounter. Even though the beast had removed the threat to her she didn't want to come face to face with it, at least not yet. Soon she would have her time. For now she needed to get back to the Inn and get some rest before she fell to the ground. She had a long journey ahead of her, of that she was sure. A slight sigh escaped her lips as the vision of Gabriel brushed against her memory. “Such a lovely dance we had.” Regret for never being able to get to know him better, Alayia turned back in the direction of town, fatigue edging her forward. She made her way to her room, ignoring the stares of the patrons as she moved. Her appearance had to be bad or at least less than reputable. Dismissing the question on the bar mistress's face, she unlocked the door to her room and shut it as fast as she could. She just needed a few hours of sleep, nothing more, and nothing less. The moment she fell to the bed Alayia felt the web of unconsciousness wrap around her, the beckoning call of sleep luring her into its embrace.
"Just a few hours are all I need."
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CHAPTER: 4
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Alayia’ fell hard onto the bed, her body a lead weight as she hit the mattress. Screams of denial echoed through her mind rousing Alayia from her sleep. Her eyes drifted open to find the owner but all she found was the darkness that surrounded her. Black and crimson filled her vision; the smell of death filled her nostrils. Vapors of sulfur permeated the air; the stench of rotting flesh assaulted her senses. She tried to rise from the ground but her body felt sluggish with fatigue. A sound from behind drew her attention. Turning she found scores of stakes littered across the ground, body parts attached to the edges. A scream lodged in her throat mixed with the bile that rose with it. Her eyes continued to move up the road to land on the outline of a large castle, the eerie lights emanating from within casting a ghostly shadow across the land.
"Where am I? Who's out there?” Alayia's voice fell dead in the air. There was no echo present, just silence. How c
ould that be? Hello? What was going on? The world around her shifted into focus. She had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation.
"I told you that you would be mine.” A familiar voice slithered across her skin. Shifting to her side she turned back toward the castle to find the face of a man who felt familiar to her.
"Who are you? I know you.” Alayia wracked her brain in search of the answer. She'd met him before she was sure of it, but where? So much had happened in the last few days her head thundered with the pain as she tried to remember... Where had she seen him? His hand reached out to touch her and she shrank away.
"Why move from me? I told you that I would have you.” His face held a mask of evil with a promise of endless nights of torture.
"I asked who you are. As for having me, I don't think so. I belong to no one"
"I warned you Danielle. I told you that I would have you.” Danielle? That was not her name. Was it someone from the Inn? She'd given a false name but still. This person felt familiar from before.
"You have the wrong person. I'm not Danielle."
"You can't hide from me. The beast thinks it can win but it won't. I'll find a way to destroy it, and then there will be no one left to protect you.” Beast... What beast? Her mind searched out answers but none surfaced.
"Who are you?” As much as she hated to repeat herself she refused to stay in the dark about her enemy. If there was one thing she was sure of he was no friend. A sudden breeze blew in from the north, a roar of anger from above.
The pale man turned his head skyward, his face pulled into a snarl. “I warned you beast. You will never have her back. Go back to your cave and wallow in your self pity. She will be mine.” Fury boiled in Alayia's blood. It was one thing to be hounded by a mad man, but to be talked about as if she wasn't there really annoyed her.
