‘Yeah, I kind of gathered that by the big ass un-dead guard dog the size of a fucking horse,’ Jake snapped.
‘Don’t get pissy with me Jake,’ Olivia sighed. ‘We all thought that the murderer was the biggest threat and as scary as that is it’s still just a human, a really sick one but a human none the less. I’m not sure what the connection between the presence I felt in the woods and the murderer is yet, but they are connected in some way.’
‘So what happened after you went to bed?’ Theo interrupted.
‘I woke up and I was in the woods, but it was like only part of me was awake. I was aware of my surroundings but my emotions were asleep. I saw a figure, it was dark and wearing some sort of cloak, I couldn’t see their face. But it was like I was compelled to follow them. After a while I managed to throw off whatever compulsion had been laid on me and when I woke up fully…’ She took a deep breath, ‘Jake, I was in Boothe’s hollow.’
‘Jesus.’
‘What’s Boothe’s hollow?’ Theo asked in confusion.
‘It’s the one place in the woods that was always forbidden to us as children,’ Olivia answered. ‘It’s a circular clearing deep in the heart of the woods. We were never allowed to go anywhere near it. We did once sneak to the edge of the clearing. There’s a hollowed out tree in the centre, but the whole place is just dead, nothing grows there, not even moss. Even the animals and insects won’t venture into the circle. The whole place was so creepy after that we avoided it like the plague.’
‘Is it likely to happen again?’ Theo said. ‘I mean what happens when you go back to sleep?’
‘It won’t happen again,’ Olivia’s voice was flat. ‘I never make the same mistake twice, besides I’ve amped up the wards around the house. Now nothing human or supernatural can cross the line if it means me harm.’
‘Do you know what the creature was that attacked you?’ Jake asked.
‘No,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘I’ve never seen one before.’
‘Fine,’ Jake conceded grudgingly, ‘you should get some sleep then.’
‘Are you staying then?’ She looked from Jake to Theo, ‘you can use the guest rooms’
‘I’m just going to crash down here on the sofa,’ Jake shook his head.
She figured there was no point arguing with him. He was still pissed off and worried about her, so she decided to cut him a break. Nodding in acceptance she slowly and painfully climbed to her feet. Theo rose next to her but as she tried to put the weight on her ankle it gave beneath her forcing him to catch her. Looking down at her ankle she realised with a grimace that it was the size of a grapefruit.
‘Damn it,’ she muttered.
Theo tucked his arm under her legs and lifted her easily.
‘We should really take a look at those cuts on your hands and feet, they’ll need cleaning and dressing before the wounds become infected,’ he told her.
‘I’ll find the first aid box and bring it upstairs for you,’ Jake nodded, ‘Olive do you remember where Aunt Evie used to keep it?’
‘I’m not sure, Nana Alice used to keep it in the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen, I expect Aunt Evie just left it there.’
She directed Theo up the stairs and through her bedroom to the adjoining bathroom. He set her down slowly on the counter and stepped back to examine her feet.
‘I can’t see the wounds very clearly,’ he murmured, moving to her face and taking a long look at the cut at her temple, ‘this one doesn’t look to deep.’
‘Theo,’ she spoke quietly, ‘how did you find me? What were you even doing in the woods?’
‘I saw you,’ he replied absently as he continued to study the wound on her forehead.
‘You saw me?’
‘Yes,’ his eyes softened and his hands gentled as he stroked her jaw, ‘I told you I would always be here when you needed me.’
She watched silently as he opened the shower door and turned the water on, adjusting the temperature. As he turned back she noticed the slash marks and bloodstains across the side of his shirt.
‘You’re hurt.’
‘It’s nothing,’ he shrugged.
‘It doesn’t look like nothing,’ she slid carefully off the counter, trying not to put her weight on her swollen ankle.
He watched her as she reached out tentatively and grasped the hem of his shirt. Pulling it up and over his head she tossed it carelessly to the floor behind her. Her fingers grazed his torso lightly, tracing the dips and ridges of his chest and across to his ribs. Four vicious looking claw marks marred the perfection of his skin. Red and angry looking they still slowly oozed trickles of blood. A trail of half dried blood ran down his side staining the waistband of his jeans which sat low on his hip bone.
‘I’m sorry, ‘she whispered not meeting his eyes. ‘I never wanted you to get hurt because of me.’
He cupped her chin raising her gaze to meet his own.
‘It was my choice Olivia, and if I had to do it again my choice would remain the same.’
Her breath caught in her throat and she remained caught in those deep dark eyes. With her heart beating wildly in her chest she raised her arms above her head, slowly Theo gasped the hem of her ruined nightdress and drew it over her head, tossing it to the ground with his shirt. Much the same as she had, his fingertips lightly grazed her skin, following the line of her collar bone, over the swells of her breasts and stroking gently as his thumbs grazed her nipples causing them to tighten in hard peaks. Tracing the under curve of her breasts he continued down her ribcage, pausing briefly his eyes widening in fascinated surprise at the tiny little diamond at her navel. Slowly his hands continued down to her hips where his fingers hooked the sides of her panties and gently drew them down her legs.
Her skin felt like it was on fire everywhere he touched her. Her hands settled on his shoulders, feeling the muscles shift and tighten under his skin; she leaned forward to steady herself as he helped her step out of her panties. He straightened and she released her grip on him, leaving herself naked and exposed to his appreciative gaze.
Kicking off his boots and socks he grasped her hands gently, his eyes never leaving hers as he guided her hands to the waistband of his jeans.
She tugged on the button watching as it popped open and lowered the zipper, there was no mistaking the hard bulge outlined against the unforgiving denim. Mimicking his movements she hooked her fingers at his hips dragging his jeans down, taking his boxers with them. Her eyes were inevitably drawn downwards as he kicked his jeans off completely. Her breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly at the sheer delicious size of him. Her core clutched painfully as the heat and arousal pooled low in her belly.
He pulled her in slowly, his eyes dark and intense as their skin touched for the first time. Olivia sucked in a sharp breath at the heat of his skin against hers. She wrapped her arms around him, her breasts pressed to the light dusting of hair on his chest. Her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck, his lips hovering inches above hers. She wanted to taste him so badly; instead he picked her up and stepped over the edge of the shower, closing the door behind them.
As he turned her in his arms so her back pressed against his chest, she relaxed into him. The water was warm and soothing as it spilled over them; he picked up her shampoo and poured a little into his palms before massaging it through her hair. She almost moaned as his fingers pressed firmly into her scalp and down to the base of her skull. All the tension drained out of her body as he rinsed off her hair. Pouring the soap into his hand next he wrapped her up in his arms and took her hands in his own, very carefully so as to not cause her pain he washed the blood and dirt from the cuts and scrapes. Satisfied they were clean he ran his hands up her arms as she reached up behind her and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing his face into her neck and breathing in the delicious scent of her he ran his hands up her ribs and cupped her breasts. She arched her back like a cat, pressing more firmly into his palms.
Turning her face blindly towards him, she gasped as his mouth found hers. The glass had steamed up effectively shutting out the world and encasing them both in a little pocket of time that belonged to them alone. Olivia turned in Theo’s arms, his tongue stroking deeply into her mouth, tasting her in long luxuriant sweeps. She shuddered; his hand grazed the length of her spine, the other hand tangling in her hair as he pressed her against the cool tile. Moaning into his mouth she ran her hands through his damp hair tugging sharply as she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth.
Theo was in heaven and hell, he knew he needed to stop, to find the strength to tear his body and mouth away from her but he couldn’t, she was addictive. He’d only meant to help her to wash, to take care of her but one touch of her and he was lost. Her skin was so soft, so smooth and she smelled so good. He was so damn desperate to bury himself deep inside her but he couldn’t, not like this.
‘Theo please,’ she breathed against his mouth rocking against his hard body.
He tore his mouth away and leaned against her, panting furiously.
‘We can’t,’
‘Why not?’ Her heart pounded wildly.
His fingers traced her cheek bone and skimmed along her jaw.
‘Olivia,’ her name was like a reverent prayer on his lips, ‘I want to be inside you more than I want my next breath.’
‘Then do it,’ she taunted, her voice a seductive whisper as she rubbed her lips against his.
‘No,’ he shook his head, ‘not like this, you’re hurt, you’re exhausted and you’re emotionally wrecked. Too much has happened tonight.’
She sighed reluctantly, she knew he was right.
Her hands gentled in his hair, releasing her grip and moving to his shoulders, stroking softly down his hard biceps interlacing their fingers.
‘I hate you right now,’ she breathed heavily.
‘I hate me too,’ he smiled pressing his forehead to hers, ‘but I can promise you this Olivia, when I make love to you there will be no one and nothing else in our bed but us.’
Nodding slowly she reached out and shut the rapidly cooling water off.
Theo helped her out of the shower, wrapping her in a thick towel while he dried himself off and pulled his boxers back on. Scooping her back into his arms effortlessly he carried her into the bedroom. A first aid kit sat on the bed where Jake must have left it. Depositing her on the bed next to it Theo turned to switch on the small lamp on her nightstand.
Olivia pulled the towel from her hair, running her fingers through the worst of the tangles. Pooling what little energy she had left she allowed the heat to travel up her neck to her scalp, until it felt like it was tingling with static electricity, shaking out her hair it curled into loose waves which cascaded down her bare back, now bone dry.
‘That’s a neat trick,’ Theo raised a brow.
‘It came in handy in college,’ she yawned.
‘College?’
‘Forget it,’ she shook her head, ‘I’m too tired to explain.’
‘Do you have a clean nightdress?’ Theo asked.
‘Second drawer,’ she replied, opening the first aid box.
The small tin box held a half squeezed tube of some sort of suspicious looking ointment, some bandages and a nearly empty bottle of cough syrup which expired in 1998. Shaking her head in amusement she smiled, it was exactly like Aunt Evie to not bother to keep a well stocked first aid kit, preferring her home remedies and simple kitchen magic to western medicine. She shuffled aside some evil looking smelling salts from…1954, seriously? Chuckling aloud she picked up a shiny black jar, sealed with wax. She stared in astonishment.
‘What’s that?’ Theo stopped in front of her and taking the jar whilst handing her the clean nightshirt.
Pulling it over her head, she slipped her damp towel out from underneath and dropped it on the floor.
Theo turned it over in his hands a couple of times and seeing nothing remarkable about it he handed it back.
‘If I’m right,’ Olivia whispered as she cracked the seal and opened the jar. A strong waft of poppies filled the air and Olivia smiled, ‘it’s Aunt Evie’s salve. She used to make it when I was a kid. I remember her putting it on my skinned knees.’
Olivia’s smile was wistful as she thought back to her aunt.
‘She always had a way with healing,’ she murmured.
‘Is it any good?’ Theo asked curiously.
‘Watch’ she smiled.
She took a small dollop from the pot; it was a transparent pink colour the consistency of petroleum jelly. She rubbed it over her injured hands, releasing an even stronger scent of poppies and comfrey. The warmth spread through her hands with a curious tingling sensation.
Theo watched in amazement as the skin sealed itself back together leaving no more than raised red marks.
‘Incredible,’ Theo breathed as he turned her hands over in his.
Scooping up a little more she tugged him closer by the waistband of his boxers, and spread the mixture across the deep claw marks in his side.
He hissed when she touched the wounds, but soon the burning was replaced by a pleasant warmth and he could almost feel the layers of flesh knitting themselves back together.
‘Lie back,’ he told her. Hooking his arm under her knees he pulled the bedclothes down and lifted her injured ankle onto the bed.
Her eyelids grew heavy and fluttered closed. She relaxed into the soft mattress as Theo covered his hands with the salve and gently massaged it into her wounded feet and her swollen ankle. She felt like she was floating, lost in the heavy scent of the flowers she succumbed to exhaustion. She felt Theo pull the quilt over her and tuck her hair behind her ear as he brushed a feather light kiss to her lips.
He turned to leave but her hand reached out and grasped his wrist.
‘Don’t,’ she said sleepily.
Nodding after a moment, he turned off the lamp and climbed into bed next to her. Pulling her back into his chest, his arm curved around her sweetly.
‘Stay with me,’ she murmured.
‘Always,’ he whispered.
But she never heard his reply; she had already slipped into a deep dreamless sleep.
Chapter 14.
Dawn was breaking over the clearing casting a pale grey light. The dark robed figure walked slowly towards the hollowed out tree carrying a large canning jar in his hands. Light filtered through the glass highlighting its grisly contents. Folds of human flesh looped in a hideous pile sitting in a pool of human fluids.
Thin tendrils of mist crawled and rippled across the floor of the clearing. The figure moved purposefully circling the tree and as he did a faint sooty orange glow appeared beneath the fog. The light began to grow brighter until it burned like a white hot brand, pulsing as it coalesced into the shape of a circular seal and within its circumference were two interlocking serpents.
The dark figure ignored it and continued on past the second seal which burned upon the frozen ground a few paces from the first. He finally stopped a couple of paces on from the second one and dropped to his knees on the hard packed dirt.
The dirt rumbled and began to churn. Soil coiled upwards spilling over itself, revealing a deep hole. The figure placed the jar into the hole and watched as it sank into the ground. The dark earth began to fold inwards following the path of the jar until the ground was flat once again.. No sign remained that it had ever been disturbed except for a bright orange symbol which now burned alongside its two companions.
The figure watched as the three symbols pulsed and then began to dim. He turned as his hand was suddenly nudged by a ball of matted fur. The dead looking creature peered up at him through white eyes. Mangy fur hung from its skull in clumps, its ears were ragged and looked as if something had been chewing on them but still they stood upright and pointed giving a vague Egyptian feel to the creature. It sat on its skeletal haunches and looked up at its master.
The creatu
re whined, a disturbing sound of pain and anger and loss.
‘You will avenge your mate when the time is right,’ his voice was an unearthly whisper on the air, ‘until then protect the circle.’
The creature growled and stood, its mangy form undulated and began to fade, disappearing from view. Although it could no longer be seen by the naked eye, the ground sunk as if pressed down by huge paws.
Seemingly satisfied the figure turned and disappeared into the woods.
Olivia turned the crackling page carefully as she lay back against the sofa, her ankle propped on a pile of cushions. Although the swelling had gone down over the past few days it still ached slightly. Thanks to her aunt Evie’s salve the cuts and scrapes on her hands and feet had all but disappeared. There were only faint silvery lines which could barely be seen.
Theo wandered into the room, sipping his coffee slowly. He watched Olivia’s brow furrow in concentration as she pored over an ancient looking leather bound volume. Several other similar books were stacked on the floor next to the sofa, some closed and some open at random pages.
She lifted her legs absently as he approached the sofa and dropped down onto the cushions settling her feet in his lap. His mouth curved in amusement as his fingertips lightly traced her sparkly pink coloured toenails in fascination.
‘What are you reading?’
‘A book on folklore,’ she murmured.
He leaned over the page and frowned when he didn’t recognise any of the words.
‘What language is that?’
‘Scandinavian,’ she replied absentmindedly.
‘You can read Scandinavian?’ he asked in surprise.
‘Enough to get by, I’m better with Latin though.’
‘Why are you reading a book on Scandinavian folklore?’
‘This is why,’ she smiled in triumph as she passed him the book. ‘Do you recognise it?’
He looked down at an illustration of a great black dog, with a skeletal frame, matted mangy fur and white eyes.
Mercy (The Guardians Series 1) Page 24
