Whispers of Tomorrow (The Alina Chronicles Book 2)

by Regina J. Robinson

  He begins to stand when Alina’s hand shoots out to grab his, startling both me and Killian. “Don’t go. Stay. Please.” Alina’s sleepy voice rasps out. Killian looks at me then back to her, giving a small nod in response. She budges up a little, so she’s closer to my neck and Killian settles in beside her leaning against my stomach. Killian maneuvers the blanket so it covers both of them. Alina rolls onto her side facing me, resting her head against my neck. She reaches back to lace her fingers with Killian’s pulling it so it can drape around her waist, the motion drawing him closer to her. With a sleepy contented smile on her face Alina places her other hand underneath her head. I can sense Killian wants to move even closer, maybe rest his head on her shoulder. However, he keeps a respectable distance and mirrors Alina’s hand under his head against my chest.

  I stare in fondness at my two favorite people cuddling against me and I let out my own contented sigh. I lower my head to rest on the hay-covered floor, wrapping and cocooning myself around them. Within moments the barn is filled with both of their soft snores as I quietly listen. My own eyelids droop heavily and sleep soon takes over.

  6

  Vemnos

  Bracing my hands against the ledge, I stare out the large arched window. The sound of the waterfalls pounding against the rocks below. The mind-numbing sounds of night birds singing. It all makes me sick. Darkness and screaming would be my preferred sort of home sweet home. Unfortunately, others don’t see the appeal as much as me. Such a shame.

  I’m still reeling from my conversation with that bitch. Oh, what I would give to tear her still beating heart out of her chest and crush it into dust. Even the quickie with Ebris didn’t calm me the way it usually does. I’ve been pacing across my room all day. Little Birdy is gaining confidence the more time she spends with her pony and farm boy. The thought of her gaining enough confidence to even attempt to decimate me fills me with dread.

  Flipping up my collar, I turn away from what others would describe as a glorious night. It fucking makes me sick. I decide it’s time to play with my pet maggot again.

  The heavy door creaks as I unlock the cell and walk in. From what I can tell, my plaything is asleep. All of his previous wounds have knitted back together and his head is slumped forward. Aww, such a shame, I love seeing him wounded. His body is a great canvas when his blood splatters everywhere. If it wasn’t for the staggered rise and fall of his chest, I would have thought for a moment I’d finally killed him. The beauty of magic is it can create the impossible. This shithead should’ve been dead centuries ago, but thanks to me he has lasted all these years. Using him over the centuries has been amazing. Having constant people I can torture whenever and however I want is great. The best part of it is how much I can taunt and tease Little Bird when I control her lover’s body. Well, one of her lovers. It’s obvious to me now that the guy’s throat I slit was one of hers too. Then there’s that fucking unicorn. I don’t know why that asshole had to get involved. The little fucker should mind his own business. Plus there’s Neris. How many more are going to get involved?

  Walking over to the comatose maggot, I knock my boot against his knee hard enough to make his body jolt. A quiet groan fills the dank darkness and I lean forward to yank his head back, just as his eyes blink open.

  “Were you fucking sleeping? I don’t remember telling you, you could,” I seethe. I expected him to be wide awake ready for the next round of torture and mayhem.

  “Fuck off Dipshit,” he spits back, groaning louder when I tug harder at his hair.

  Getting nose to nose with the miserable worm, I glare at him. “I would watch your fucking mouth around me maggot. I’m not in a good mood and unless you want me to finally finish you off you better shut the hell up.”

  “Do your worst. There’s nothing you can do now that I haven’t already experienced first hand, thanks to you.” His words don’t set me off, but that fucking eye roll he gives me makes my blood boil. I straighten and stare down at him.

  “You’re absolutely right. What am I thinking?” I tap my forehead with the palm of my hand, my eyes rolling as if what I just said was the dumbest thing ever. “I know exactly what your sweet spot is. Your dear Little Birdy. But you see the thing is, I’ve tried a lot of my torture on her too. I mean after centuries of it you would think I would eventually run out of ideas. Except no, I haven’t. I’m always inventing new ways to cause her grief and pain. And up until now the only real thing that triggered her was you. But now. Ha. Now she’s growing attached to others. Forgetting about you in the process, so you aren’t as effective any more. Guess what though, I have one more trick up my sleeve that even she can’t stop.”

  The maggot glares at me with narrowed eyes. “What are you going to do?”

  “Something I should have thought of sooner. I mean how can she actually stop me when I’m not there. I know she has been dreaming of me for centuries. Ha. She thinks they’re nightmares, but really she has no idea what a real nightmare is. See. Dreams are a wonderful thing. But nightmares? Ah, nightmares are where the real magic happens. After all, you can’t fight something which isn’t real.” I finish with a large toothy grin. Yes. That’s definitely what I’m going to do. I’m going to plant a little nightmare curse in each of their heads. Let the madness consume their minds and make it so they can never escape them.

  Genius.

  Rubbing my hands together in glee, I give the pathetic excuse for a human another kick, then turn on my heels and stroll out the way I came in, without a backward glance.

  With a wave of my fingers and a crackle of purple light I know it is done. Soon there will be no escape from the nightmarish hell I will cause them.

  This is going to be so much fun.

  BRANOR

  I watch the gloating asshole as he struts away. Damn, if I could just escape these bindings, both the physical and mental, then I would be free to destroy him. I would give anything for that. Even my life.

  For what feels like the billionth time, I close my eyes and try concentrating hard enough to block out the mental barrier which ties me to the monster. I can sense him in the back of my mind. A constant dark spot I simply cannot seem to erase. My life wasn’t always dark, I can remember the light and good times. The ones I used to spend with my beautiful Alina. It was so long ago, but I can remember every detail as clear as day.

  Many Centuries Ago…

  “What are you up to Birdy?” I smile, leaning against a fallen log.

  “Not much. I wanted to see if I could get a fire going using my powers.” She looks back over her shoulder at me, a beautiful smile gracing her face. One that warms me up inside better than even the hottest fire.

  She turns back to the pile of wood and leaves in front of her. From where I’m sitting, I can make out her furrowed brow and the pure concentration in her fiery eyes. Holding her hands out in front of her, she hovers them over the makeshift campfire. I watch in fascination as she wiggles her fingers trying to make the fire but nothing seems to be happening.

  I remember back to what the wise old man had said when we first discovered Alina was a phoenix. He had said that her powers were affected by her emotions. I remember that every time we have made love my Birdy always felt hot to the touch. Well, hotter than normal. Maybe…An idea pops into my head.

  Standing, I walk over to her as she turns to look at me. I step behind her and place my hands on her waist, moving forward so my chest rests against her back. I lift one of my hands to sweep her hair away from her ear. She leans back and I can see a contented smile gracing her lips. I lower my voice to whisper in her ear, my lips tenderly brushing against her lobe. “Listen to my voice Birdy. Close your eyes, but leave your hands out.” She does as I say and I place a gentle kiss against her ear. “Now. Focus only on letting your fire grow and burn. Forget everything else, concentrate only on that.” She gives a small nod in reply.

  She shivers against me when I move my lips down to tenderly kiss the apex of her neck. I continue brushing my lip
s down the curve of her neck and back up again. As I am doing this my hands wander over her curves with the lightest of touches. Her breathing picks up, and I can feel her rapid heartbeat pounding in her chest, as I continue brushing my mouth against her soft skin. She tastes divine as I use my lips to place open mouthed kisses from along one shoulder, across her neck and over to the other.

  After another shudder, I begin carefully undoing the laces on the back of her overdress, my lips following my fingers. I keep one hand on her lower back and reach the other underneath the material, around to one of her full breasts. Carefully, I run one of my calloused fingers over the nipple until it forms a hard peak. Her breathing is rapid as her head falls back, her long hair sweeping against my fingers. My own heart is beating out of rhythm. This slow pace is killing me, but the more I touch and tease my Birdy the warmer she’s becoming,

  I move my head ever so slightly to peer around her body. Through all of this, her hands are still hovering above the wood. But this time when I look, they are glowing a soft orange color. Faint sparks are alighting her fingertips. I’ve never seen this happen before. Usually during our lovemaking, she heats up to the point it can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but she has never hurt me. Not that I believe she would hurt me now, at least not on purpose.

  Moving to stand upright behind her again, I give her neck the faintest of bites. Not enough to mark her, just enough to make her release the sweetest of moans. My gaze darts from her gorgeous face to where her hands now have multiple sparks arcing around her fingers. I stare in amazement as the sparks catch light and turn to flames.

  “Birdy. Open your eyes, my love,” I whisper gently in her ear, in an attempt to not break her concentration. Her lids flitter open, and she stares open mouthed at her hands. Turning them over and over again, she looks from her hands to me. Her eyes appear cloudy, but happy.

  “I did it.” Her whisper is so faint I can hardly hear it. A sense of pride and overwhelming love fills my heart as I gaze into her stunning eyes.

  Making sure not to touch me, she crouches down to place her hands against the wood. The pile quickly catches alight with tiny embers flickering away up to the gradually darkening sky. She turns her head to look at me again and I see a flash of worry cast over her face.

  I crouch down, being extremely careful not to touch her. “What’s wrong, Birdy? You did it. Are you alright?” I carefully reach out to sweep a stray hair away from her face, avoiding her flame filled hands.

  “I know I did it. But…” She looks down, chewing at her lip, “how do I stop it again. Last time…Last time it stopped on its own. Probably from shock. How can I stop it? I don’t want to hurt you.” A single tear sizzles against her cheek as it tries to fall.

  “Now Birdy. Stop that. Look at me.” She refuses with a shake of her head. I reach out to tilt her chin to meet my eyes, well aware of the burning sensation which is tingling against my fingertips. “Take a deep breath, okay? Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Good girl.” Alina follows my instructions, taking full deep breaths. As she starts to calm down, I notice her flames are receding until only a faint glow similar to embers coat her fingers.

  In what feels like forever her breathing has leveled out and her hands are back to normal. Her skin is no longer scorching hot underneath my fingers. Warm, but not hot. I lean forward to place my lips against hers and she lets out a relieved sigh, swinging her arms around my neck. Losing my balance, we both fall backwards in a heap, my amazing woman landing on top of me.

  I move my hands around her waist and begin digging my fingers in a little until she starts giggling. Her laughter is the most wondrous music I have ever heard. I keep tickling her until she’s squealing in my arms and as she’s distracted, I roll her over until she’s underneath me. My hair drapes forward, cocooning us in our own little bubble. I stop tickling her for a moment, which is when she decides to start peppering my face with tiny kisses. My own chuckles mix with her melodic laugh until we’re both out of breath.

  Rolling onto my back, I pull her with me so she can snuggle into the crook of my arm. My Birdy lays her head on my chest and her hand around my waist. I leisurely play with her hair and a contented sigh leaves her lips.

  “Thank you, my love.” Alina quietly whispers. “Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

  “You know I will do anything for you. You only have to ask.” I kiss her head, continuing to play with her long wavy hair. She lifts her head to place a delicate kiss on my chest over where my heart is. Another kiss a little higher up, then another, tenderly rubbing her nose against my beard. Eventually she reaches my lips and gently kisses them. “I love you.” She smiles, eyes filled with so much love and devotion I feel I may burst.

  “And I love you, my Birdy. More than you could ever know.” Using my free hand, I bring it up to cup her face as I place a deeper kiss on her lips. With another contented sigh she pulls away with a dazzling smile, but not before she places a quick kiss to my nose. She maneuvers herself to snuggle down again.

  I could quite happily fall asleep like this. I have on numerous occasions. I just wish it was in a proper bed, not the woodland floor or a dirty stable. Somewhere warm and perfect for my sweet Birdy. I know what I want for her, but around here it’s difficult to find somewhere to settle down. Proper homes are hard to come by, seeing as I have no money and no one will take me on for work. The word about what my Birdy did to that man in our village has spread far and wide. Now no one will offer us work, shelter, or go near us. I have tried the best I can to make her as comfortable as possible and she never complains. But it’s not right. My precious Birdy deserves the world.

  If only I could give it to her.

  Present Day

  It wasn’t long after that, we had found the cave. Bloody damn thing. I wish I had never suggested it. I was so desperate to find my Alina somewhere safe and warm, that it didn’t even occur to me it would’ve been in our best interests to keep moving. Perhaps if we had, Vemnos may never have found us. But he did, and no matter how much I wish these past centuries away, to go back to the time when Alina first started learning to control her powers, I know it will never happen. Even if I ever do manage to escape, kill Vemnos and get back to my sweet Birdy, it will never be the same again. The chances of her forgiving me for what I have put her through are extremely slim. Not that I ever think I’ll manage to escape this hell hole. But it’s wishful thinking. Letting out a sigh, I stare down at the ground in front of me, no point in looking around. It’s still the same dark, damp cell I have inhabited for centuries.

  Closing my eyes, my body weight sags against the chains that bind me. I know they are made with iron. These chains are the very same ones Vemnos controls me to bind Alina in.

  What I would give to end that asshole. To finally set my beautiful Birdy free would mean everything to me.

  I know deep down one of these days she will finish him. Although it would mean the end for me. Without Vemnos’ curse I would have been dead ages ago. It should bother me, my eventual death, but it doesn’t. I have accepted my fate. For Alina to be happy and free from everything I will gladly give my life. I just wish there was more I could do. I think the only ones capable of helping her now are the man whose throat I was forced to slit and the unicorn. Maybe they can help her where I have failed.

  Right this moment Vemnos is concocting some kind of curse or spell to fill Alina’s head with even more nightmares than she has already suffered. He will probably infect the man’s and unicorn’s minds too and once again there is nothing I can do to stop it.

  7

  Killian

  I choke and splutter from the thick pungent smell of smoke invading my nostrils. Hastily looking around, I can see trees and bushes consumed by fire. But the thing which makes my heart stop more than anything is the sight of my beloved farm ablaze. Terror courses through my veins when my eyes fall to the barn.

  Alina! Galen!

  I rush forward on unsteady feet over the gra
vel. Running as fast as I can toward the raging inferno which was once the barn. I step through the crumbling threshold, my heart thundering in my chest as I lift my arms up to shield myself from the blaze.

  A soul crushing scream pierces the air halting my steps.

  Alina!

  My head whips from side to side as I look around trying to find her. My eyes finally fall on a crouching figure inside the barn hunched over something I can’t quite make out.

  Forgetting the flames for a moment, I stumble closer to the figure, not quite reaching them.

  One of the rafters takes that moment to fall from the ceiling and land in front of me, missing me by mere inches, embers and sparks bursting from the fallen wood. Cautiously moving past the broken rafter, I glance around carefully as I get closer to the figure.

  Another scream penetrates the air, so loud I have to cover my ears, the sound forcing my eyes shut. Blinking them open, I can clearly see the figure in front of me. Her stunning fiery hair is singed at the tips, ash streaking her cheeks and her clothes are aflame. That alone would have been enough to halt my heart, but what lies in her arms completely destroys it.

  The building is caving in around us but all I can do is stare. Because lying in Alina’s arms is Galen. He’s badly burned to the point his skin is melted in places. From what I can make out, one of the rafters must have snapped and fallen down. Because it’s now impaled in Galen’s chest. Flames lick at my feet, threatening to catch me ablaze, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the dark blood seeping from his wound.