“Run!” she screeched at Jim, who immediately did as he was instructed.
Heart in her throat Katherine rushed back along the trail, never looking back, afraid to see how near it was to pouncing. It leapt along casually behind in no particular hurry. She ran like she had never run before, slapping tree limbs out of her way and leaping over rocks, roots and fallen trees. The path grew slick underfoot. She no longer knew where she was going or why, having lost the trail at some point. She no longer cared, all that mattered was survival.
Suddenly the cabin lay just ahead. The creature cursed through the brush behind her, sped up to keep her from reaching it. There was one large branch in the way. Without a thought or hesitation she pulled the limb with her as she went, hesitated listening for its approach, then released the limb and sprinted with all she had the last few yards to the cabin.
The branch snapped back to catch the unsuspecting beast full face. It was taken aback for a moment, then ripped the limb form the tree and tossed it like a twig into the clearing. The delay was all she needed. She tripped on the wet steps and fell hard to the porch, crawled desperately to the entrance and turned the knob as she scrambled to her feet. Once inside she leaned hard on the door as she placed the bolt across it.
A shot rang out in the woods, repeated again and again. Her head swam as she slid to the floor exploding in tears. Everything fell silent and darkness closed in around her as she put all she had into the burst of blue energy that shot from her like a ripple from a stone.
‡
Nigel found himself standing on the shore of the lake, disoriented. Knowing he was supposed to be looking for something. His legs throbbed and he didn’t know where he was.
The creature from the side of the road emerged from the trees, came to stand before him. He looked around, thought he must be dreaming.
“Well done.”
It spread its wings, lifted him from the ground and above the tree tops. They moved almost silently, down toward a decrepit old house that might have once been a mansion. It flew around back, to a stairwell that led to a basement. There it came to rest, setting him down at the top of the steps.
“I may need you again. In the meantime you’ll stay here.” Greystone pointed down the stairs.
Nigel was shaking, hesitated as he looked into the darkness below. Greystone was impatient.
“I don’t have time for this,” he shoved, sending Nigel tumbling toward the darkness below. “I have work to do.”
‡
When she awoke the gray light was dim, but the rain had stopped. The floor was cold and hard, letting her know she was still alive. Slowly, stiffly she got up, went to the window to determine how long she’d been there. A dim lit wilderness looked back. No visible faces or eyes, but they were there, watching. She could feel them spying, prying.
The clouds lay low in the sky, threatening, menacing, blowing around like poisonous vapor. There was a rustling on the porch, she listened intently as footsteps came, made their way across the planks. She felt like a rabbit, hunted incessantly, cowering in a hole. A familiar voice called out.
“Katherine, ya in there?” Jim’s voice was loud and confident.
‘This isn’t real,’ she thought. ‘Bullets couldn’t stop that thing.’
But something stopped it, it didn’t tear down the door and kill her or carry her off. Cautiously she approached the door, laid her hands on it.
“Jim, is that you?” she asked.
“Yep. It’s me. Open up.” He sounded normal, that sexy northern sound taunting her to let him in.
“How. How’d you get away?”
“Katherine, it’s okay. It’s me. I shot at it and it musta wounded it, because it went away.” He sounded calm, collected, confident. There was no concern in his voice, as if he’d known she escaped unharmed.
“How can I be sure?” Her voice sounded shaky, even to her. She cleared her throat, fought to keep steady.
“Hum. Well, how ‘bout that pair a heart shaped moles on your back?” he said, his smile showing in his voice.
With relief she unbolted the door, drew it slowly open. Jim stood before her, calm and relaxed, the gun in his belt. The smile he gave was warm and familiar.
“Well, you gonna let me in?” he asked, brow raised.
“Yea, get in here.” She breathed a sigh of relief as he moved slowly forward into the cabin.
“Ah, good. Ya haven’t found it.” He kicked the bolt to the side before she could pick it up to replace it.
“Found what?” she asked, a little confused.
Warning bells were going off as the power fluctuated and flexed, threatened to overflow. Miranda recognized the movements, the personality of the man before her. The passions from the encounter in the house filled the air. It wasn’t Jim. Backing away Katherine let the protective wall rise, radiate out, trying to block any further progress.
Greystone smiled with Jim’s lips. Walked through the wave as though it were only an annoyance. Reaching out he pulled her into his arms, held her tightly. Leaning down he kissed her passionately, stared into her still mostly green eyes.
“Where’s Miranda? You’ve had your fun, now let her out to play.” His smile was charming, cunning.
From inside she felt the woman she’d been last night coming into her own. The woman he had killed to make her a permanent part of the family forever. She came willingly and pushed Katherine aside, warmed to his embrace. Opening up she fed on the passion and power emanating from him, began to draw it in, absorb it into some powerful place of her own.
Confusion clouded Katherine’s mind as she fought to comprehend what was happening. That molten core within churned, threatening to overflow. She fought for access to it. Greystone picked her up, pulling her legs around his waist, sat her on the edge of the table as he kissed her neck and chest, ripped her shirt open and tore it from her shoulders.
Pulling his shirt off he tossed that aside, tossed the gun aside as well.
“Useless thing that was for him,” he smiled.
Katherine stirred, reached for the well within and finally grasped it. She came to the surface, seizing control of her body, tossing Miranda back into the recesses. Pushing on his chest she fought to get him off, feeling the negative power that now poured into her instead of Miranda. The strong hand slid up her back, grasped her hair and yanked her head back.
“You let her back out,” he hissed in her face. “I’ve waited a long time for this. You let her back out!”
“No. I’m not giving in to it. I’m going to end this, once and for all. Set them all free. Set my father free.” Squirming under the pressure of his body against hers, of the angle he had her bent to, Katherine fought.
The power to fend him off wouldn’t come, but he didn’t seem to have any more strength than Jim would’ve. She searched behind her for something to grasp, found an iron pan. With all her strength she brought it around, hitting him in the side of the head. He stumbled backward and she took the opportunity to shove him toward the door. Stumbling and disoriented he staggered. One more push and he was out. The bolt fell into place with a clack.
After pacing for a while she pulled out the book, searched its pages, but found nothing new. His words kept repeating in her head. “You haven’t found it.”
“What?” Katherine searched the cabin high and low. There was nothing there. She looked for loose rocks in the fireplace, though there were plenty, none of them were removable. No loose floorboards were to be found either. Greystone didn’t return, so something was keeping him back. What ever it was she’d circumvented it by letting him in, now she hoped her will would keep him out.
Curling up on the sleeping bags she stared at the walls around her. They had turned from a haven to a prison and she couldn’t help but wonder if she was on death row. Night had fallen. The sound of the wolves in the distance began again. Thei
r sorrowful cries echoed what was in her heart. Despair, utter loneliness with neither Jim nor Miranda to keep her company. Her mind wandered, twisting and turning down old roads long since traveled and down paths never explored. All of the 'what-if-this-had-never-happened’s' paraded before her.
The wolves sang their lonely, forlorn songs and she nestled down further into the sleeping bags. Katherine sank into her soul, despair driving her down. She almost wished she had some sound to contribute to their mournful songs. She too felt their pain, anguish, sorrow that this was never going to end. That it was going to continue to be an endless cycle that she would never be powerful enough to stop.
Then there was Miranda. Obviously she’d misjudged her intentions, let her show her only what worked in her favor. It had worked to get her here. It was too late to turn back now. She had no choice but to hold her ground and fight.
Chapter fifteen
The dawn finally arrived creeping slowly over the rippling water. A cool morning breeze gently tousled the vegetation. From the front porch Katherine debated her chances, decided all she could do was the best she could and headed for the trail. There was an essence about this place. She’d felt it from the moment she stepped through the gate, but now it was more defined. It was as if life had been breathed into the very depths, as if it were actually an entity unto itself, the lake and the land around it.
At every turn there were shifting shadows and silent eyes. Nothing moved to disrupt her progress or challenge her in any way. Yesterday had been a ruse, to separate her from Jim. Greystone was jealous and he’d used Nigel as bait to draw them out, giving the lawman a killer to chase, knowing it was in his nature, he wouldn’t refuse. It had worked, so now he had him, too.
Every breath was weighted with uneasiness. Desperation for control of a situation quickly getting out of control loosened her hold on Miranda, giving her back her awareness. After what seemed like an hour or more Katherine found herself back at the place where the thing had ripped the tree limb out and thrown it in the clearing. The cabin stood quietly waiting.
“Damn. How’d I do that?” she turned and walked back down the path, in the direction of the house. An hour later she stood in the same spot again. She was beginning to hate that decrepit old wood pile. This time she cut through the forest in the direction of what she thought was the house and lake. An hour later she again found herself staring at the front side of the cabin.
Tired and hungry she gave in, went back inside, dropping the bar into its brackets. As she drank a bottled water she contemplated the situation. His words came back again.
“Haven’t found what?” she asked the empty room. Miranda struggled within, Katherine kept her down, out of reach of control, not sure she could trust her anymore. There were doubts in her mind that Miranda was really a part of herself.
“What is this? A game?” her voice was tense and aggravated. “I haven’t finished the level yet so I can’t go on?”
Pacing the room she finally stopped by the table, faced the stone chimney. Tears of frustration threatened to spill from her eyes.
“What? What do you want from me? If there’s something you want me to find then fucking give it to me, damn it!” No reply was expected and none came.
The nearest thing to her was the iron pan. She wrapped her small fingers around it and sent it hurtling at the fireplace. The pan clanked as it hit the stones and then clattered to the floor taking several chunks of the rocks with it. An object came plummeting down from inside. It made a dull sound as it hit the floor.
When the ages old dust and soot settled Katherine edged carefully toward the opening at the base of the fireplace. Miranda stirred, tried to rise to the surface, was allowed a little closer.
A makeshift bag of what must have once been an animal pelt had fallen from inside. It was musty with patches of grayed hair still clinging to it. The ties had all but disintegrated over time. She reached cautiously for the bag. Every nerve stood on end with the sudden thought of what else might lie in wait in that shadowed hole. Her hand touched the stiff leather as she snatched it from the fireplace.
Flashes came, of Miranda out back, skinning rabbits for dinner. Another of her carefully stashing a pelt in her skirts, the making of the bag. Days before her attempt to flee for good she’d given the household the slip, claimed illness and laid in bed for most of the day. She only attempted to go to the cabin, hoping since it was on the property it wouldn’t draw attention.
The ruse worked. Slipping something into the bag she stashed it in the chimney to aide her later. She made her way back to the house without incident. Now the bag lay in Katherine’s hands. Carefully she placed it on the table. Her hands shook as the ties gave way to age and fell apart. The leather broke into pieces as she pealed it away from its treasure.
On the frail remains lay a ring and a long, narrow box. The ring was thick and bulky, crusted with oxidation from it’s exposure in the chimney. The box was damp and green with rot. The clasp would not yield, rusted shut from moisture, but the wood was so decomposed that it no longer held the nails and gave way under her prying fingers. It gave little grievance to giving up its contents. Inside lay a key. It was large and green with age. The head formed the family crest of a skeleton key. The key that would open any door in the mansion.
The ring she recognized. It was Miranda’s wedding band, the one she had enchanted to aide in her protection. She’d placed it here in the chimney. With the weakness apparent he’d used the opportunity to establish her permanent position in the family line. Miranda stirred again. Katherine considered letting her out, decided against it. Maybe she was giving this presence too much credit, maybe the things she shared with her weren’t always truth.
‘What if,’ thought Katherine, ‘what if she only left the ring and the book in case she ever needed them. In case there ever came a time when she wanted out, but the time wasn’t now.’ The pool of power was growing exponentially. ‘What makes me immune to the restraints of the family? What gives me power over them that they fear me?’
Thinking of how she’d manipulated the dream to get information from it the night before Katherine decided she’d go hunting again tonight. But there was something else she had to do first. She’d caged Miranda once, she just hoped she could do it again. Their thoughts didn’t seem to be connected unless they let them be. After all Miranda was able to lie to her, she hoped the reverse was true.
The ring lay on the table by the broken box. She slipped the key into her pack, then cleaned the ring as best she could with a toothbrush and baking soda toothpaste. It came cleaner than she’d hoped. Once she was done she slipped it on her finger.
Going out into the evening Katherine stood on the porch admiring the colorful trees. She relaxed, let the pool in her core settle, letting Miranda rise up to her level of consciousness.
“You’re a traitor to yourself, quite literally. But I’m going to give you a chance. What makes me different from the rest of the family. Why do they fear me.”
Miranda offered no answer, but took over swiftly. She pushed Katherine back and she let her, not going too far to know what was going on. After only a moment Jim came from the forest and smoothly mounted the porch. He laid his hand on Miranda’s face, stroked her hair.
“I knew ya’d come. Ya love me as much as ever.” He kissed her deeply, pulled her to him.
“Now we can be together. We can live as we were meant to live.” She looked up into his eyes, pulled him to kiss her.
Scooping her up in his arms he carried her into the cabin, laid her on the sleeping bags. They tore at each other like ravenous animals in a brutal mating ritual. Finally he pinned her wrists to the floor and hovered inches from her face.
“I’ve waited so long,” he purred, leaning in to kiss her.
Katherine let the power in the pool surge and sweep out over her body, pulled Miranda violently back and took her place.
“What’s wrong?” Greystone asked, alarmed.
Taking a deep breath Katherine smiled at him. “Nothing, just a flash of one of her memories. Jim was quite the lover. As are you,” she purred, reaching her head up for the next kiss. With her thumb she moved the ring to the end of her finger.
Katherine grew aggressive, pulled her wrists from his grasp, flipped him on his back and took his hands in hers. Smoothly, without looking, or hesitation she slid the ring onto his pinky. Greystone struggled underneath her, writhed as if in pain, looked wildly at her then growled as he was forced to relinquish his hold on Jim.
Jim lay limp beneath her as she remained where she was. The ring had worked, but was he still there to save? After a few moments he stirred, then raised up suddenly, dumping her into the floor.
“What the fuck!!” he shivered, ran his hands up and down his arms, over his head in disgust. “My God, what th hell’ve I gotten into?”
“Now you ask,” she said, getting up off the floor, brushing herself off. Then, more sincerely, “Are you okay? Do you feel okay?”
“Creeped th fuck out! That’s how I feel.” He paced, then plopped down on a bag, leaned on the wall. “Tired. Very tired.” Staring around he shivered again. “Are ya okay?” he asked, seeing her rejected look.
“I’m fine. You really should leave. This isn’t your fight.”
“How’d ya do that?” he said, ignoring her suggestion completely.
“What?” Katherine looked confused.
He threw his arms up, motioned around. “That! Drive him out like that.” He got to his feet. “And why in th hell’d ya take a chance like that. Ya could’ve gotten yourself killed!” He pulled her into his arms, held her tight.
“He wasn’t going to kill me, he needs me. Or maybe Miranda needs me. I don’t know anymore. I don’t understand what makes me special, why they fear me. Why they can’t just take me into the folds and be done with it. It’s like they need me for something, but I don’t know what exactly.” She returned his embrace. “At least I’ve got you back.”
Soul Inheritance Page 19
