Revenant

by Catrina Burgess

  There was a candle burning on a table nearby, but the rest of the room was awash in shadows.

  A sound floated in the air and I knew I wasn’t alone. “Is someone there?” I whispered. I almost screamed when a figure emerged from a dark corner.

  Oh, it’s only Mildred. Why does she look upset?

  My heart thumped hard in my chest as I thought of Gage in danger. “Is everything all right? Is Gage—”

  “Gage is fine. He’s dancing the night away up top.” She motioned with her finger toward the ceiling.

  That’s right, they’re holding the party out in the woods. A great sense of relief washed over me. Gage is safe. It’d been silly of me to panic, but the feeling of dread I had in my nightmares seemed to cling to me even after I woke.

  Mildred stood by my bed, her gaze searching my face as if looking for something that wasn’t there. “Colina, what has he done to you?”

  I just looked at her, not understanding what she was asking.

  She reached out and snatched my arm. “It’s a spell. Some kind of brainwashing. Child, you have to snap out of it.”

  She was hurting me, her bony fingers digging into my skin. “Let go of me,” I protested.

  Mildred’s wild eyes scared me. Her hair fell around her face and stuck up in all directions. She looked unhinged. Her grip tightened painfully. “Listen to me. We don’t have much time. You have to get out of here.”

  I tried to pull out of her grasp. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “The creature is here.” Fear blazed out of her face; it was contagious.

  My heart raced and my free hand flew to my chest, though I wasn’t sure why. “Who?” I asked through trembling lips.

  “The demon,” she hissed.

  “Of course it’s here. It came to see Gage. You know as well as I do they work together.” What was wrong with Mildred? Why was she acting so odd?

  She let go of my arm, bent down, and cupped my face with both hands. “I know you’re in there somewhere, Colina. You have to fight the spell.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her erratic behavior was starting to freak me out. “You’re talking crazy.” Mildred had always been a bit off-balance.

  She let go of my face and gazed away, thinking, before giving me a hard stare. “You have to come with me now.”

  I backed up as far as I could in the bed. “I’m not going anywhere without Gage.”

  She gave a wicked laugh. “A day ago, given the chance, you would have killed him without the slightest hesitation.”

  Anger replaced fear. “That’s not funny. Don’t say such things.”

  She looked around the room, uncertainty stamped across her face.

  “Mildred, I don’t know what’s going on, but you need to calm down. Everything is all right.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve made a mistake,” she said suddenly, reaching out and patting my arm. She started to hum a tune, then stopped. “I don’t know what I was saying.” An odd smile lit her face. “Promise me you won’t tell Gage I was here.”

  “You know I can’t do that. There are no secrets between us.”

  “I realize it was a mistake to come. You’re right. I was upset about something, but I should have gone to talk to Gage about it.” She got up and started to pace back and forth, wringing her hands as she walked. “I’ll go talk to him about it now. Just—please don’t mention this to him. I was not thinking clearly. You know how I get.”

  Even though she was smiling, I could clearly see the worry in her eyes. She really was afraid of what Gage would think. He would be upset when he found out she was acting out of her mind… “All right, I won’t say anything.”

  “Thank you.” She did a little jig and gave me another bright smile. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

  “I’m feeling stronger. They say my fever was quite high.”

  She nodded her head. “Yes…the fever.” She looked around the room again. “And you’re staying in bed tonight? You’re not going up to the party?”

  “No, Gage thought it best that I stay in bed and rest. I need to get my strength back.” I smiled as I thought about Gage. In forty-eight hours, I will be his bride. As if reading my thoughts, the worry appeared again in Mildred’s eyes. “You know, you should be happy for me,” I chided. “I’m finally getting married.” When she just looked at me in silence, I asked, “Aren’t you happy we’re getting married?”

  “You and Gage are getting married,” she repeated back. Her expression was filled with shock. After a few moments she seemed to catch herself. “Yes, of course—your marriage. I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course I’m happy you’re getting married. Never get old, child—age messes with your memory.”

  “I can’t wait. In just two days, I’ll be his forever.” I realized I probably sounded like a gushing bride-to-be, but I didn’t care. I was so incredibly happy.

  Mildred watched me with such intensity that I started to feel uncomfortable.

  I finally broke the silence. “You, uh, said you were going to go talk to him about whatever was bothering you?”

  She nodded her head. “Yes, yes. I’m going right now.” And without another word, she twirled on her feet and headed out of the room.

  I nestled back down into the pillows, closed my eyes, and dreamed of Gage.

  * * *

  I woke with such a thirst, but the cup next to the bed was empty. I pushed the blankets back and shivered. I was wearing nothing but a thin, gray silk nightgown. The candle was still burning on the bedside table. I slowly got up out of bed, noticing that my legs were less shaky and I felt a great deal better.

  I started to make my way across the room, but a hand reached out from the shadows and pushed me against the wall. I yelped in surprise.

  “Don’t be scared, my love.” Gage pressed his body into mine. He smelled of exotic herbs and smoke.

  “Is the party over?” I gasped, enjoying his hands on my waist. I could feel the heat of his fingers through the thin material of my nightgown.

  “No, but I couldn’t wait to get back to you.” His fingers came up and caressed my lips. “I’ve waited a long time for you to be mine.” He kissed me.

  It was a hard and demanding kiss. As his lips moved with mine, his fingers trailed along the curves of my body. I could feel myself responding to his touch, his kiss.

  Heat raced through me. “I feel like I’m in a dream,” I whispered when his mouth finally broke away from mine.

  “No, my love, this isn’t a dream. I’m sorry, I promised myself I would let you sleep, but I couldn’t help it…I had to see you.” And then his fingers were sliding across my shoulder, and I felt the strap of my nightgown slide down my arm. His fingers grazed my naked skin. “It will be daybreak in a few hours.” He bent down and started kissing my shoulder.

  While he kissed me, his hands explored my body. I started to quiver under his touch. My heart pounded and my breath came out in small, ragged gasps.

  He pulled away and looked at me with bright eyes. “I can’t stop thinking about having you in my bed.”

  His taste, his smell, his touch—it all filled me with such desire.

  Someone cleared their throat.

  His fingers stilled against my collarbone. “What is it?” he said, not turning around.

  Sonja’s voice sounded from the doorway. “Fintan is demanding to see you.”

  He gave a sigh of regret as his fingers slowly pulled up the strap of my nightgown. He kissed my shoulder again. “I’m sorry, my dear.” He gave another long sigh before his lips came up and gently brushed against mine. “I promise—soon. Soon we’ll be together like I’ve always imagined.”

  And then he pulled away from me and I felt cold again.

  I watched him walk away and sadness filled me. It crashed over me like a wave, so overwhelming I almost cried out. I forced myself to recall the heated moment we’d just had together—Gage’s image flashed before my eyes and an incredible warmth crept in and slid
along my mind and body. Gage is so smart, so handsome. He has such passion.

  A long time ago—so long ago the memories were fuzzy—I’d thought I’d loved someone else. But I now realized that love was nothing but infatuation. So many people had turned their backs on me and left me all alone. Only Gage had stayed by my side. Gage had shown he was my true partner. My soul mate.

  If only there’d been no interruptions. I ran my hand down my silk nightgown, my skin tingling pleasurably as I relived his touch. Gage would’ve carried me back to bed. He would’ve finally made love to me.

  I would’ve been truly his in every sense of the word. But in just two days, we would be husband and wife. After the wedding, we would have a lifetime together.

  * * *

  I slept a deep, dreamless sleep this time, and when I woke again, it was to the smell of bacon and coffee. Someone had left a tray of food on a table nearby.

  I got out of bed and headed for the food. When I heard the sound of shuffling behind me I called out, “Sonja?”

  “It’s me again.” Mildred. What does she want? She looked so tired. Her body slumped a bit as she walked toward me. She was wearing the same dress she’d worn last night. “I passed Sonja in the hallway.”

  “Did you talk to Gage?” I asked. I nibbled on a piece of toast. I felt better than I had before. The fatigue had finally passed. I started to reach for a cup of coffee.

  “I brought something for you.” Mildred ignored my question, holding out her hands instead. She held a cloth-wrapped object.

  “What is it?”

  She pulled the cloth away and revealed a goblet. Candlelight shone off its gray surface. Purple and blue light twinkled from the colorful jewels encrusted all along its edge and base. It was filled with a murky liquid.

  Mildred moved closer and held the brimming goblet out. “You should drink this. It will make you better.”

  I need to get well for my wedding day. I took the goblet from her hands and raised it to my lips.

  “Gulp it all down,” she urged.

  I took one long drink and sputtered. “What is it?” It tasted terrible.

  “Something to help you.”

  “But it’s bitter.”

  She nodded her head. “Medicine often tastes awful. One more deep sip, that’s all you need.”

  I looked at her, reluctant to take another sip, but told myself she was only trying to help me. The potion tasted foul, but I raised the glass to my lips anyway and took a swallow. I immediately started coughing. I could feel the liquid running down my throat, burning as it went. I knew a look of alarm was on my face. “Wha—what did you give me?” I demanded.

  “Something to help you remember, child.”

  My throat was on fire, my belly burned. The world around me started to waver. “What did you do to me?” I cried out.

  “Stay calm, everything is going to be all right,” she whispered. She began to sway back and forth, murmuring words. She’s chanting—no, she’s singing.

  I felt my body begin to move back and forth in time with hers. My eyes were blurry and my head throbbed, and then I doubled over and started retching.

  Mildred held a large bowl in front of me. I threw up—once, twice. The contents of my stomach splashed against the sides of the bowl. Next thing I knew, I was down on the floor looking up into Mildred’s face. She was pressing a cool cloth against my forehead. “What happened?” I croaked out.

  “How do you feel?” Mildred asked.

  “I feel…sick,” I said, pushing myself up into a sitting position.

  “It will pass in a moment. Do you want me to get Gage?”

  I looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “Why would I want Gage?”

  Mildred looked pleased.

  “Where am I?” I pushed myself off the floor to my feet, but I would’ve fallen if Mildred’s strong hands hadn’t reached out and steadied me.

  “You must stay calm. I’ll tell you what happened, but Colina, you must not overreact. You have to stay calm, do you understand?” The expression on her face was so serious.

  “I…understand,” I whispered.

  “You’re in Gage’s bedroom.”

  “What?” I started to sway again, but she put her arms around me.

  “He’s done something to you, child.”

  At her words, I felt my blood freeze. “What do you mean, he’s done something to me?” I pushed myself out of her arms. “Mildred, tell me what’s going on!”

  She put her fingers to her lips and then looked over at the door. “Calm—you must stay calm. We don’t have much time. How can I explain it to you?” She seemed to be considering her words before finally blurting out, “Gage used a spell on you.”

  I just stared at her in disbelief.

  “He gave you a potion and invoked a spell.” She was watching me closely. “Maybe he slipped the potion into your food or drink?”

  I thought back to the night he gave me a colorful yellow-and-orange concoction. “I remember…he gave me some type of fruit drink.”

  She nodded her head and looked pleased. “He could’ve put the potion in that. Very powerful stuff. Very dangerous stuff. When you take it, your system shuts down. Your heartbeat, your breathing—it all goes so very low that you appear dead. When it’s done correctly, your mind becomes pliable. You’re under his control.”

  I gasped in horror. “I’m bound to him?”

  “In a sense. The potion he gave you is also a powerful psychoactive drug. Once you take it, your mind is wide open to suggestion. He used the potion and then a type of hypnosis on you.” She came over and leaned in close. “He changed your reality. You followed his every word, his every wish, his every command.” I felt like throwing up again.

  She put a hand on my shoulder. “And, Colina? The demon is here.”

  The demon is here. The words rocked me back on my heels. It was here, which meant it would be looking for me. Fear shot through me and I sucked in a shaky breath.

  Her words gushed out. “They had a party for the creature last night, and tonight they’re doing another ritual, one to help it get more power and resume its natural state. And then the day after that”—she looked away and then back at me—“you aren’t going to like this, but… Gage plans to wed you.”

  The shock ran straight through me like a bolt of electricity. “You can’t be serious.”

  Voices echoed outside the room and we both stilled.

  With both eyes on the door, Mildred leaned in and whispered, “The demon is here to preside over the ceremony. You’re to be Gage’s dark bride.”

  “I would never marry him.” I felt sick over the thought.

  “You would if I hadn’t woken you. He had control over your mind. He convinced you that you were in love with him.”

  I looked around the room and down at what I was wearing. I’m here in his bedroom wearing a silky nightgown. Could everything Mildred was saying be true?

  “I have to go,” Mildred said, moving away from me. “They’ll be coming. Colina, he can’t know you’re no longer under his spell. You must play along. I need more time.”

  “No, wait.” I didn’t want her to leave. I didn’t want to be left alone in Gage’s bedroom.

  She stopped at the doorway and gave me a smile. “I need time to get us out of here. Promise me you’ll go along with whatever he says. You must go along with it—our lives all depend on it.”

  I looked over to the rumpled sheets I’d just been sleeping in and shuddered. I slept in his bed. “How can I pretend?”

  “You’re safe until after the ceremony. He can’t consummate the relationship until after you wed.”

  That stopped me in my tracks. “Consu—” I couldn’t get the rest of the word out.

  “He can’t bed you, child, until after the ceremony. If he does, the spell won’t take. There are rules to magic, and even Gage has to follow them. Promise me you won’t let him know I released you from his influence.”

  I reluctantly said, “I pr
omise.”

  She gave me another smile. “I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  I started after her. “Wait, Mildred. You said everyone thinks I’m dead?”

  She stood in the doorway, looking uncomfortable again. “Yes, everyone but Gage and Sonja. I only found out last night you were still alive. I thought Gage killed you.”

  I remembered Dean trying to save me with CPR. A sinking feeling filled me. “Dean thinks I’m dead?”

  “He does, and he has to keep thinking you’re gone. If he finds out you’re alive, he’ll move heaven and earth to get to your side. And then Gage will kill him.”

  Dean didn’t get away. “What about Wendy? Did she escape?”

  Sadness filled Mildred’s eyes. “No. She was at the party. Gage tied her to a chair and the demon talked to its companions through her.”

  I couldn’t comprehend it. Why didn’t Jacob get her out? I’d pleaded with Jacob to run away with her. How could he have stayed? “Is she okay?”

  “She’s alive. I watched them carry her away. She’s physically all right, but I don’t know about her sanity.”

  “Mildred, how are we going to get out of here?” I wanted to trust her, I really did, but she’d betrayed me before. How could I know she wouldn’t do it again?

  She walked back to me and put both of her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. I just need time.”

  I pulled away from her. “Until then, I have to act like I’m in love with Gage? I don’t know if I can do it.”

  “You must, child. When I came in before, you were mooning over him. You must act like that again. Act like he is the only one for you.”

  Suddenly the memory of Gage kissing me filled my mind. I wiped my hand across my mouth and swallowed hard on a rush of bile at the back of my throat. “I can’t do it.”