It was peaceful here… until I woke up.
The warmth spread over my chest as it had before. I wasn't aware of much in here, only that every once in a while I could feel warmth over my body. Although, I wasn't sure where here was.
Was I sleeping?
Was I dead?
My body seemed asleep, stagnant, and I could barely feel or sense anything around me, but there was this sensation as though I was floating. It was like I was immersed in water. Soft, warm, soothing water, but even in the water I could breathe. I liked it here. There was absolute silence, that is until my mind started to awake. It felt like time wasn’t moving at all. My thoughts were slow, very slow and I felt heavy. My eyelids were closed, and I thought I might be awake but I wasn’t sure. I still felt like I was in a deep sleep.
“The spell has ended.” A man’s voice broke through the fog. “The shell is disintegrating. Let’s hurry up, clean him, and dress him as Cyn requested. I have to tell my brother right away. It won’t be long before he is lucid.”
“I will rush to get the bucket of water, hand towels and the clothes Cyn gave us for him. I shall be back at once.”
“Thank you, Ronan.”
The voices seemed so far away. I could barely understand, and even then I couldn't process. I felt drugged, and lethargic. Like I was trying to wake up from a surgery where I had been given an extra dose of the most potent sedatives they had. Slowly, very slowly, my mind began to clear. My senses started to awake, and I could feel my body again. Although, I still didn't have enough strength to open my eyes. There was a cool, wet sensation on my skin; it felt as though I had a layer of gelatin on it. My arms and legs tingled with the men's touch, as each hand moved on me. I could feel them cleaning my skin, dressing me. Like a doll being handled by its owner.
When they left me, dread filled every inch of me. I had no idea why, but I feared what I would find once I actually opened my eyes. Where was I? What happened to me? The hazy memories came to my mind, and my pulse picked up speed.
The battle at the lake.
My uncle being murdered by Cassius.
The sword flying towards me, and going through the left side of my body.
Me crumbling to the ground, in agonizing pain.
The pain once again spread through my body at the memory, and I gasped for air sitting up. Nausea instantly hit me. I tried to hold myself to the bed but I felt so weak, my back fell on the mattress. My eyes finally opened, and I blinked trying to help my vision adjust. I rested on my elbow and tried once again to hold myself up. I was inside some type of dark room. Was I at the mansion? It didn’t feel like it. When my vision cleared a bit more, I noticed the walls were made of stone. My eyes widened as the memory of the cave we had held Bri and Lia in came to my mind. Was this the same cave? Was I a prisoner now?
“Please leave us, Ronan. I must speak with him. In private.”
My head whipped towards the voice, and I realized a woman was standing by the entrance of the cave. A tall, older redheaded man stood to her left. I wasn't alone. I pushed off the bed and stood abruptly, using more strength than I apparently had. I sidestepped not to fall and reached for the wall beside me in an attempt to hold myself upright. What the fuck had happened to me? My body felt strange, my legs were weak, and I could barely stand.
“Eisha, that might not be a good idea…” The man said, hesitantly.
“It will be all right, Ronan. Please.”
My gaze returned to her, and another memory came back to me. I saw her in the clearing, jumping and kicking a soldier out of the way as she ran to one of the Warriors I had shot. His body fell on the grass, and she cried out his name. The memory faded and I saw her standing straight across from me. She was taller than the average woman. Her charcoal black hair was braided, resting on her right shoulder and a loose strand of hair fell over the side of her face and cheek. Her skin glistened with sweat, and her chest moved quickly, as though she had run over here. She was wearing a brown leather outfit like the one from the memory. I knew who she was. She was a Druid, a Warrior. My eyes finally met hers, and her penetrating gaze cut through me. Her icy blue eyes were filled with hate, but there was another emotion as she looked at me. Pain. She took a step towards me, and I unconsciously took a step back. I had been trained to fight since I was a kid by Agustina's men. Aurelius had made sure I trained with his army every week, but after seeing the way these Warriors fought, I knew I needed a weapon. To make matters worse, the way I felt right now said there was something seriously wrong with me. Maybe they had done something to me to take my energy away, my strength. If she attacked me, I was as good as dead. I looked at the man behind her, and we exchanged a glance. He seemed nervous about leaving the room, but he did.
She stepped forwards, and I stood straighter. I was not going to show her how weak I really was. At least not intentionally. I refused to be easy pray for her or anyone of her kind.
“You are awake.”
I nodded, not knowing what she wanted from me. I held her gaze as she observed me and I couldn't help feeling like prey. She took a deep breath, and I could almost sense an internal battle raging inside her. Her eyes clouded with pain. The sight troubled me, although I had no idea why.
"You killed Phelan. You murdered my friend. It was you the one who shot him. Was it not?"
The memory returned to me, I nodded. These people had spent centuries committing atrocities against humanity, even against their own kind. They didn't deserve my pity.
“Why?”
The question was followed by a tear. It fell from her lashes leaving them wet as it slid down her cheek. The light from the blue fire torches on the walls around us made her tears sparkle. It was almost beautiful. Another tear fell, but I didn’t answer.
“Tell me why?”
She asked again. The pain in her was as real as the tear that continued to graze her skin. My eyes followed it down until it fell from her chin and it disappeared. If I didn’t know what she was and what they had done, I would probably feel guilty.
“Because he didn’t deserve to live.”
The mood in her eyes instantly changed from sadness to rage. Her hands reached for her back and the next second two axes were flying through the air towards me. My eyes widened, just as my back hit the hard stone behind me and the axes connected with my neck. The handles crossed over my Adam's apple cutting the airflow, while the blades went right through the stone behind me, like it was butter. My skin stung on the left side of my neck, and I could feel the blood trickling down.
“Fuck!”
I gasped as my hands flew to the handles and I tried desperately to get them off me. I had no strength to help myself. I could feel my body weakening, my lungs began to burn with the loss of oxygen, and my vision became blurry as I uselessly tried to free myself.
It didn’t help.
I was going to die today.
“A chara," a man said in a soft, warning tone and my gaze flew to the door. Cynwrig and his brother were standing there.
The woman Warrior stiffened when she realized we weren't alone anymore.
“Eisha,” He called again, and it sounded like an order.
She dragged her eyes away from me and looked at him over her shoulder for a moment. I was truly struggling to breathe, but my hands couldn’t grip the axes. She walked towards me, pulling them brusquely from the wall and freeing me. I gasped for air, reaching for my neck, and stumbled away from her. She followed me slowly, and once again I felt like her prey. She leaned in, and her eyes bore into mine. Her face was only an inch away. The pain was back in her eyes.
“Do not tempt me, filthy Roman. I am not a Druid like my brother behind me. I am a Warrior, and I shall not hesitate to kill you.”
Her words swirled in my mind. "Not a Druid." What the hell did she mean by that? Weren't they all Druids?
She whipped around, placing the axes in the harness she carried on her back and walked past Cynwrig, leaving us. I swallowed, wondering where the hell I
was, and if I would be able to find a way to escape. Considering I could barely stand and these people had powers I didn’t even know about, I didn’t count the odds in my favor.
After the promise she had just made me, I didn’t doubt for a second she would kill me the next time she got the chance.
ART
* * *
I held Eisha's arm as she walked by me, she stopped the moment my skin touched hers. I stepped out of Felix's cave by her side.
“Mo Sgòthan,” I said, holding her shoulder and turning her towards me.
I knew the pain she felt at this moment because I could see it in her eyes. Her gaze was low, but I noticed another tear fall from her eyes. Without a single thought in my mind, I cupped her cheeks and brought her lips to mine. My lips moved on hers as the tears continued to fall. I wanted to take her pain away. I wanted her to understand that I was here for her and she didn't need to go through whatever she was going through alone. I wanted her, and I missed her more than anything. She didn't fight my kiss, but she didn't kiss me back as she had done before. I lifted my head, and when I looked into her eyes, the pain traveled through me.
“I just want to go home,” she whispered with broken words.
I nodded and opened the portal for her. She didn’t even turn around as the portal closed.
What the fuck was I doing? Was I destroying everything we had ever shared by trying to be with her? To love her? I felt like an idiot. I didn't know what I was doing anymore. Sometimes, I didn't even know what I was feeling. Eisha was all I had ever wanted. She was the woman that haunted my dreams, my days, my everything. Was it wrong of me to want her this way? Was it worth losing a friendship I had counted on for two thousand lifetimes? I had no answers, but I couldn't help feeling like the closer I tried to get to her the more she pulled away from me. I hated feeling this way. Feeling like there was nothing I could truly offer her. Begging to be loved because the truth was, I wasn't good enough for her.
There was one woman who wanted me, though. She could calm my want even when she couldn’t calm my heart. Seima was the only one who knew my true needs and desires. The one beside me in this hole, because she had fallen too. If nothing else, at least I had her in my life.
My chest constricted as I thought about having her in my arms tonight.
I really hated feeling this way… unwanted.
* * *
It was almost morning when I returned home from Seima's bed. My eyes immediately went to Lia. She was still sleeping. Her body lay in the same position I had left her in, yet somehow she had managed to push the sheets to the floor. I chucked softly. Lia always did that. She was wearing my cut-off shirt to bed. I walked towards her and covered her body once again. Returning to the dresser, I pulled a pair of pajama pants out and walked towards the partition. I cleaned myself with a wet towel and put on the pants.
“Shhhh. It’s ok, Bòidheach. It’s me,” I whispered soothingly, as I laid behind her on the bed. Her body stirred and I reached for her. “Come here.”
My fingers caressed her skin, and she responded by turning and settling into my arms. Her cheeks were wet against my chest, although she was asleep. The tears had escaped her even in her slumber. I wanted to kick myself for not being here. I wrapped her tightly in my arms and tucked her head into my neck as she usually did. My palm caressed the length of her back slowly, and as the minutes passed her tears receded, until she was sound asleep. My eyes drifted shut, and sleep dragged me under as the warmth of her body spread over mine.
FELIX
* * *
I woke up startled and gasping for air once again. My gaze flew to my hands as I inspected them, looking for the burns the blue flames had caused when I tried to attack Cyn. The magical fire had melted my skin off before my eyes, but I didn’t have any scars. I could still remember the mind numbing, agonizing pain as the flames incinerated my body, yet there was no evidence to be found. My skin was smooth and soft as if nothing had happened. I shut my eyes forcing the images of the burnt skin out of my mind while my heart slammed against my chest. What the hell had happened? How was I okay after I had burned to hell? Did Cynwrig heal me after I passed out from the pain?
Opening my eyes I pushed myself back on the small bed, trying to rest my back against the wall. I was still too weak to move. It had taken everything in me to remain standing before. What had happened to me? He said that I had spent three months in some kind of a coma that he created for me. Was that where the peace I had felt came from? The warmth? No. It couldn't be. How could anything that had to do with this people feel like that? My hand lifted the linen shirt they had put on me once again, and I looked at my side. Just like my hands the wound of the sword was gone. Nothing left as a reminder of that day. Not even a scratch. My fingers pushed against the skin as though trying to make sure that what I saw was real. I swallowed as my eyes continued up and I realized I could see my ribs pushing against the skin. My body was emaciated. What the fuck had they done to me? Was this part of their torture?
“Are you all right?”
The voice startled me. My head whipped around towards the entrance of the cave and I noticed the redheaded man was back. Ronan, I think the woman had called him.
“What are you going to do to me? I will not be your prisoner!” I shouted immediately feeling out of breath.
He took a step forward as I tried to breathe and make the oxygen reach my lungs again.
“We are not planning on doing anything to you, Felix. Contrary to what you may have been told, we do not take prisoners. I believe Cynwrig explained that to you already.”
He continued to walk towards me, slowly. My eyes desperately searched my surroundings for a weapon or anything I could use to defend myself. There was nothing. He took a chair I hadn’t notice, by a small table in the corner and dragged it closer to me, sitting on it and crossing his arms.
"I am sorry." My head turned towards him at the apology. I frowned. "I am truly sorry, Felix. You have been another casualty of this senseless, never ending war between our races and I am afraid they might have been as ruthless with you as they have been with us." He sighed and let his arms fall. Resting his forearms on his thighs he looked at me. "I know it must be difficult to wake up one day and see yourself fully healed from an injury that should have taken your life. We have powerful magic, yet we do not use it for evil as you have been taught. The Druids were an important part of civilization, not in a manner that gave them power over others but in the sense that others sought our help. We were teachers, and doctors, lawyers, and judges. Kings asked our High Priest and Ovates for advice. Kingdoms trusted us to bring peace to otherwise troubled lands. We lead a humble life, a merry one until your ancestors realized what they thought to be the full extent of our abilities, and decided they wanted them for themselves. Before then, the knowledge of our connection to magic was only held by a selected few. Mainly the Kings that sought our favor and help to protect their people and keep them healthy, for the rest, it was merely a fable. The Romans met with a High Priest and demanded this magic be taught to them, since they were the most capable among the people to handle that type of power. They would maintain order and protect the rest with the abilities they would master. Of course, the High Priest denied the existence of our magic, but once it was evident to him that your people would not cease their attempts, he admitted to it but denied the Romans what they asked of us. You see, the High Priest knew how powerful our magic was and how dangerous it would be for it to fall into the wrong hands, so he did the only thing they thought would bring the most peaceful solution. He disappeared before the Romans eyes and reached his people to warn them of the threat. Little did they know the threat was already among them. That night the first Druid Clan was attacked and that High Priest died, trying to protect his people. They were burned alive while they slept. After that day, Druids among our clans began to be prosecuted. Whole villages burned to the ground, men, women, even children dead for the desire of one man and his soldiers to possess
a power even some of us, who have grown among its midst do not understand." He stopped and took a deep breath straightening again. "We have been hiding to protect our people for a long time, my friend. Unfortunately, that has not worked in our favor. Nevertheless, I thought you should know the truth."
I stared at him baffled. “Do you think I’m an idiot? That I’m going to believe whatever you tell me just because you say it is?”
He sighed. “No, but if you have believed everything they told you about us even though it was a lie, then I thought it would be worth a try to tell you the truth.”
The certainty in his words disconcerted me, but I quickly disregarded it. I assessed him as he shook his head and stood. He was as tall as the others, maybe a couple of inches taller than I was. His body was ripped. I could see the corded muscles of his arms even through the fabric of the shirt he wore. His thighs were massive which meant he probably lifted some serious weights as exercise. I was truly fucked. There was no way in hell I could take him down. Even being at my best, I exercised to sculpt my body, my abs and arms as well as my chest. I did kickboxing for many years but I doubted it would help me here. These men obviously trained for high weight endurance, and after seeing the way they fought… Yep, I was never escaping this place. I was going to die here.
I really needed a weapon. I tried to get up, and a wave of pressure pushed me back. At least it felt that way. The whole room shifted, and I felt like I was falling but I knew I was still on the bed.
“What are you doing to me?” I asked him as he rushed towards me. Holding my shoulders and steadying me. My skin became cold and clammy. I was having cold sweats. “Is this one of your powers, Druid?” I shut my eyes as the dizziness overpowered everything else.
“It is not me. I am not doing anything to you, Felix. Your body is weak. You are dehydrated and need nourishment. You must eat.”
Unwanted Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 3) Page 8
