by Helen Fields
‘It’s vengeance, the reason I’m helping you. I didn’t want you to go through the same thing that happened to me. That’s why I’m here.’ I watched him, not moving in case I broke whatever spell had made him start to talk. He gestured to his side and I retook my place on the floor.
‘I told you that the Perelesnyk are incubi, meaning they seduce humans. The female, called a succubus, does the same. That’s what the girl is you found with Nate tonight. They’re sometimes called night demons or storm demons. They can fly at night which is why it’s been so easy for them to follow and find you. In most ways they detest humans but they can’t breed without them, that’s why they spend so much time here.’
I ran my hands through my hair, the heat spreading around the room now. ‘I still don’t understand how you got involved in all this?’
‘The succubi look for human men to impregnate them when they’re fertile. They find a man whose defences are down, drunk or frustrated, and they take advantage when resistance is at its weakest. They work the same way as any predator. I was just nineteen years old when I got married. She was my school sweetheart. We’d known each other forever, I guess. We’d both been brought up with old-fashioned values and had decided to wait until our wedding night to consummate.’ He stopped to pick up the fire-irons and turn over the dwindling logs. ‘Our wedding was beautiful, a small church way out in the country, just close friends and family. In the evening we went off in a little car I’d saved a year to buy and drove to Fort Bragg where a friend of her parents had a little place. We were going to walk along the beach, go riding, lock the door behind us and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist for two weeks.’
‘So what happened?’ I said when he seemed to have lost himself in his memories. He almost jumped when I touched his arm and I withdrew my hand.
‘We got to the house late that night, been driving for hours, must have been two in the morning. It had been a hell of a long day but I’d been waiting what felt like a lifetime to make love to my wife and I didn’t care what time of the day or night it was. Anyway, she said she had a headache and hoped I didn’t mind if she just got a little sleep, start fresh the next morning. I don’t know where it came from but I got angry. I was overtired and like most nineteen year olds, overwhelmed by my own testosterone. Like an idiot I accused her of making excuses and told her she was leading me on. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t hear every stupid word I said to her over and over in my head.’ His voice wavered for the first time and tears shimmered in his eyes. I looked down at my feet, feeling like an intruder. He shook his head and continued.
‘I stormed out only stopping to pick up a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen. I walked down to the nearby beach, threw stones in the water and got as drunk as I could as quickly as I could. Next thing I knew there was a woman, taking her clothes off ready to go skinny dipping. I didn’t make a sound, just watched her. I knew I should’ve turned and walked away but after being rejected, or so I was telling myself, I thought it was fair enough to just watch. Then she turned round and beckoned to me. That’s all it took, all the will power I had. I ran down the beach, dropping my clothes as I went. By the time I reached her I was ready for anything. She didn’t say a word, just swam around me, giggling, touching me under the water. I was almost crazy with frustration. We got out of the cold water and ran under the cover of the trees. She started running away, teasing me, hiding behind the trees. She’d let me catch her for a few seconds, kiss me, put my hands in places I’d never touched a woman before and then she’d run off again. Before I knew it I didn’t recognise where I was, the trees, even the moon looked different. I was drunk with alcohol and frustration and lost all sense of time.’
‘She’d taken you into Manitu,’ I breathed. ‘What happened?’
‘At last I ran into a clearing and found her just lying there waiting for me. No more games, she was naked and more perfect than any woman I’d ever seen. I lay down next to her and kissed her and it was like drinking wine. I never wanted it to end. Only it felt like I was out of control all of a sudden, like I was drowning in her. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. Then I thought of how my wife would have looked, how she would have tasted, what her body would have looked like naked, laid out on the ground like that. That flash of guilt, maybe I was sobering up, I don’t know, but it made me want to get out of there as quickly as I could. The succubus must have felt the change because all at once she was on top of me trying to force her body onto mine. When I saw her face it was pure animal, no softness, no humanity. I hit her. I’ve never hit a woman in my life but I was so full of rage and guilt that I lashed out. She wasn’t expecting that and it gave me the chance to get up and run. I could hear her calling after me, crashing through the undergrowth but I just kept going.’ James sat forward clutching his knees with his arms. His muscles were tensed so hard that his arms were shaking. I almost didn’t want to hear the rest of the story.
‘As I ran through the forest I could hear the sound of the waves in the distance. I knew it must be the path to the coast so I followed it as fast as I could. Then I could hear another voice, my wife, calling and calling my name. I was naked and dirty with another woman’s sweat on my body but all I wanted was to throw myself into her arms and ask her forgiveness. Every time I thought I was getting close to her I ran into a dead end of thickets. In my rage I screamed and tried to push my way through a thorn bush scratching the flesh off my arms as I went. I could see nothing but a haze of red in my temper but as I got through to the other side and calmed down the scenery looked normal again. I stood still and listened for my wife’s voice and then heard her calling. I burst through the trees and there she was, just reaching the top of a cliff path a couple of hundred meters away. I screamed to her at the top of my voice and I must have scared her because she slipped. I saw her spin round to the sound of my voice and then the stones under her feet were kicking up dust. I ran towards her but it was like swimming in mud. She fell backwards and her hands were grabbing for something, anything, to hold onto. There was nothing there. She must have hit the cliff face two or three times as she fell, I heard every tiny noise. It was as if the sea had become silent for that minute just to punish me, to make sure I’d never forget. She was dead when she hit the bottom. I scrambled down the cliff face and held her and begged her to forgive me, to come back.’
His face was streaked with tears, as was mine. ‘James, you don’t have to go on. I understand now, I’m so sorry, please don’t put yourself through this.’ He grimaced and I saw more anger and hatred in that expression than I have ever seen on the face of any person.
‘The succubus appeared behind me. She was laughing and laughing. She told me that humans were foolish and pathetic, choosing to deny themselves pleasure out of guilt. I remember telling her it wasn’t guilt, it was love.’
‘In the cave with Zora she said something about a curse. What happened?’
‘She was furious that I’d rejected her. The curse was no more than I deserved. She said that if I ever found love again then that woman would die just as my wife died. She cursed me to a lifetime alone. Funny, really; that punishment is probably the only thing that stopped me from taking my own life. It made me feel as if some sort of justice had been done.’
We were both silent for a very long time. There was nothing I could say, no words that could be of any comfort. When the fire died I fetched blankets from the bedroom to slip round our shoulders then made coffee. I had so many more questions but we both needed sleep. When we’d finished our drinks I took him by the hand and led him to the bedroom. He lay down without speaking and I crawled behind him, wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes. I wondered if he’d be able to sleep but soon the rhythm of his breathing slowed and deepened. I slept fitfully, dreams of falling waking me two or three times. I opened my eyes to find bright sunshine filling the room and James sitting on the edge of the bed watching me. I sat up to see how he was this morning and was relieved to see he
was himself again. I showered while he made breakfast, both hungry in spite of the night we’d had. Afterwards we went back to my house so I could change my clothes before we went for a walk. James knew I had more to ask him and the reappearance of the Perelesnyk last night was something that couldn’t be ignored.
Twenty
We got through the next hour with small talk and little eye contact. The sunshine, for once with barely a cloud in the sky, lifted both our spirits. Sabina waved us a cheery good morning as she took her breakfast on the veranda but didn’t call us over. I read more than a little curiosity in her eyes at the sight of the two of us out together so early and knew she was imagining a very different night than the one we’d spent together. My heart lurched unexpectedly at the thought. This was a man who could never hold a woman in his arms and think of a future with her. How futile would the world seem if that were me? Tears sprang to my eyes and I dashed them away before he noticed. There had been enough crying for a while.
The horses began to trot towards James before he’d even called them and they waited in line at the fence for some attention as we walked between the paddocks. He looked younger to me than he had before and I wondered if it was because I was seeing the bereft nineteen year old who would always be stuck in that moment of time, constantly punishing himself. As we jumped across the stream that ran through the lower meadows he reached for my hand automatically. I must have hesitated before taking it and he looked at me quizzically.
‘It’s okay you know, it’s not catching.’ I laughed and the gloominess was gone. I felt a tingling sensation across my skin. A light breeze picked up and the sun seemed warmer. The colours of the leaves were bright and sharp and for a second I wondered if we’d wandered unwittingly into Manitu. When I glanced ahead, sitting on a boulder as still as could be, was Ellette. Her hair looked on fire in the sunshine and I wondered if mine was the same. I don’t know if she was concerned I would still be angry or that I might turn and walk away but she did nothing, just sat there and waited for us to reach her. Without thinking I was scrambling up the river path as fast as I could and her eyes were wide with surprise. I threw myself at her and held her fast. In the stupor of the last few weeks I’d done my best not to think about what had happened in Manitu but it finally registered that I had a sister, real family, a blood bond. Whatever she’d done, all I wanted was feel her in my arms and be grateful she existed at all.
‘Ellette, I’m so happy you’re here. Thank goodness nothing happened to you, I was worried Perun might have figured out who helped me escape.’ I kissed her warmly on both cheeks and she smiled, nodding over my shoulder to James.
‘Sister, I am glad to see you safe. We must talk quickly. No-one knows I am here. James, will you walk with us?’ She did not let go of my hand and I felt the odd combination of excitement and trepidation as we walked under the trees for cover.
‘Is it mother? Has something happened to her?’ I asked.
‘No, not mother,’ she paused and looked at me quizzically. ‘Has anything happened since you got back, have you seen or heard anything from Perun?’
I briefly recounted the events of the last few days. She didn’t seem surprised by what I’d told her.
‘It was Perun’s last desperate attempt to make you so enraged that you would pass back into Manitu. He must have thought that seeing your lover Nate with the girl would distress you so much that you would lose control. How did you manage to control yourself so well?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know,’ I stuttered. It was something I’d been wondering, too. ‘I suppose I didn’t really feel angry, just sorry that Nate had been dragged into my mess.’ James was staring at me. It was obviously a question he’d been wanting to ask me. I felt too embarrassed to tell them that the relationship was already over before Perun had stepped in. The Perelesnyk had overplayed their hand and may have ended up doing me a favour. ‘Why do they want me back, anyway? I assumed they’d have given up once they knew I wasn’t going to help them willingly.’
‘If Perun can present you to the Council, willingly or not, you would be the oldest daughter of the Vilya alive in Manitu and first in line for rulership. Willing or not, blood ties among our people are strong, and being there so close to mother, with your whole family around you....Perun must believe that once you experienced that, nothing in the world could make you leave again. He is almost certainly right, which is why James and I did what we did the last time we met. I am sorry we lied to you Eve. It has caused me more pain than you could know.’ In my sister’s eyes I saw she was telling me the truth.
‘Ellette, you didn’t come here to make peace, although I’m pleased you have. What’s wrong?’
‘Zora has gone’ she said and her face was downcast when she spoke. ‘Late last night she vanished from her bed. She has never done that before. She does not like to be alone for long and she has not returned this morning. We can find no sign of her anywhere and we cannot track her. Someone must have covered the trail, Zora is so unaware of herself that she can never hide from us. Now it makes sense. When Perun’s plan to get you back to Manitu failed they did the only other thing they could. They took Zora. If she is not presented before the Council they can stop her ascension to the throne and power will pass directly to the Perelesnyk.’
I swallowed hard. Ellette was obviously desperate with worry and I couldn’t imagine how our mother must be feeling. ‘What will they do to her?’ I asked. The thought of her being harmed was sickening, she was so innocent and trusting.
‘I do not know,’ said Ellette. ‘They will have to keep her hidden and cannot risk her being able to tell the Council what happened. She will be terrified by now, she has never been separated from mother,’ she stood abruptly. ‘I must get back, we have to continue searching. The ascension ceremony is at sunrise after two more moons. Forgive me for not spending more time with you. I must tell mother what I know.’
I took in the full implications of this. ‘You mean she knows, about me? She knows I was there before trying to find her?’
‘Yes, when Zora disappeared last night I knew I had to tell her everything. She wept with joy to know that you are well and strong. I have to go Eve, we are running out of time.’ I leapt to my feet and went after her.
‘You can’t let them take her place. They have no right. There must be something you can do to stop it. Won’t the Council listen?’
‘There are already other families who believe Zora should not take power with human blood still in her veins. I cannot make an accusation against another family without risking war and I will not shed bad blood after good. I have a long way to travel for the ascension and I still have to do all I can to find our sister.’
‘Where?’ I said. ‘Where will it be?’
‘The Rock of Ages. You call it by another name. El Capitan at Yosemite? All the families will travel there from every corner of Manitu,’ she stopped long enough to repeat my gesture of kissing both cheeks. ‘I promise I will come back and tell you what happened. For now, you must let me go. Stay safe, Eve. I cannot lose another of my kin,’ and with that she disappeared into the trees as if she were an animal, barely rustling the leaves.
James had hung back, waiting until I was ready to go home. He took one look at my face and I heard him whistle softly under his breath.
‘Oh, now there’s a new look and I don’t think any good will come of it,’ he waited until I was level with him and we walked back towards the ranch. It felt good to find that the part of me that was always up for a fight still alive and kicking. James knew exactly what I was thinking. The next time I looked he was grinning from ear to ear and the sight was beautiful. I grinned back and felt my blood pulse with adrenalin. By the time we’d reached the lower paddock I knew exactly what I had to do.
‘So, are you coming with me to Yosemite?’ I said. James pulled his hat down over his eyes as he always did when he was thinking.
‘You sure you know what you’re doing?’ he asked. I didn’t have an answe
r so I just shrugged my shoulders. ‘You know, I never thought I’d miss the hot-headed, ill-tempered little madam you were when you first came here but I guess you were more endearing than I thought.’ I raised my eyebrows at him and before I could retort he pushed me against the wooden fencing, one arm around my waist and his other hand with his fingers entwined in my hair. ‘Please, just for once, don’t argue,’ he muttered and I felt his lips on mine, soft and dry, his body a wall of heat against me. He kissed me until we were both breathless and when he pulled away I found myself as carefree as I had been a year ago.
‘You know, we are under some time pressure here,’ I said.
‘Well then, you’d best go get ready. I’ll fetch the jeep. Better tell Sabina we’ll be away all weekend before she calls out the troops.’ We walked back up towards the lodgings and his fingertips found mine for a second before we parted to prepare for the journey. It was a tiny gesture but it made me painfully aware of the sort of man he really was. There was a reason I hadn’t been the least bit angry with Nate. I clamped down hard on those thoughts and steeled myself for a battle I had no idea how we could win.
Minutes later I had a rucksack packed with food, water and a change of clothes. I emailed Naomi to say I was going on a retreat for the weekend and not to worry if she couldn’t get hold of me. Then I spoke to Sabina as James had suggested. She asked who I was going away with and when I’d told her it was James she winked and wished me a wonderful weekend. She also confided in me that Daniel Fortune was coming over that night and said it was a shame we couldn’t double date. I was glad she’d finally given in to his request for dinner and crossed my fingers that we’d make it back to find out how it went. It was the first time it had occurred to me that we might not. I guess if you thought too hard about consequences then nothing extraordinary would ever happen. James and I didn’t speak as we climbed into the jeep. There was a map on my seat and the sat nav unit was already programmed.
