Rowanne was back in her nightmare world, all around her was endless night. She was encroaching upon this place that had never known light, and even the pale moon was watered down to a fine gray.
The landscape seemed vast to her, as if it almost stretched into infinity. Well, it appeared that way to her tired eyes. How do you measure the dark? she wondered. There were no stars, or any real form of light that she could use to guide herself.
Gradually her senses started to adjust, and she could begin to make out what appeared to be tall structures in the far distance. They looked like huge monoliths. There probably ancient. I can’t think of a word to describe what I’m looking at, she thought, with a mixture of fear and respect.
In documentaries they show the ancient world, and it is vast: palaces and temples being a city unto themselves, that’s how grand the scale was, and yet this place dwarfed them, making them appear microscopic. A place like this should not be able to exist, and I’m just this tiny insignificant being within it... She felt that she could become lost within it, swallowed up and leaving behind no trace to suggest that she was ever there.
Alexander rushed to Rowanne’s side, as he felt her distress. From his home, he used the demon paths as his most expedient method to reach her, and minutes later he was in her apartment.
There was a brief disturbance in the air, and then a portal opened, glowing impossibly red as if on fire with the urgency of its master’s need fuelling it. Alexander stepped out and noticed nothing except Rowanne as he rushed to her side, blurring as he put on a burst of supernatural speed, almost impossible for the human eye to register. He began to lift Rowanne-
STOP.
Alexander froze mid way, and looked down sharply at Rowanne, but she was unconscious. However, he could have sworn that the voice had come from her. Nobody else besides the two of them were in the apartment, as far as he knew. He quickly scanned the apartment in less than a second. Satisfied that they were alone, he began to lift her once more.
I SAID STOP. NO MORE, in a menacing tone the voice issued from Rowanne with so much conviction behind it that Alexander immediately stopped.
PUT ME DOWN, she repeated in her sleep state.
The voice seemed to be telepathically shouting at a stunned Alexander.
He lowered her carefully down to the ground, amazed and slightly afraid himself at what was happening. He had not personally encountered something like this in his existence, although he had heard of it, and it made his blood run cold.
The body stirred and slowly Rowanne opened her eyes, but they were not her eyes; the green native to her had been replaced by a brilliant glowing violet. At first they were unfocused, but in the next instant they became determined and deadly as they immediately latched onto Alexander.
He took an involuntary step back, as Rowanne’s head started to lift up off the floor, followed closely by her torso, and lastly the arms helped to push Rowanne’s body into a sitting position. It is grotesque, he thought, referring to Rowanne as ‘the body’ because as far as he could tell, it was not Rowanne trying to get up: her essence seemed to be gone, replaced by that... thing. That monstrosity.
He started to back up, revolted by it. He felt uncertain of himself, and for the first time in his life, he was unable to decide how to proceed, how to handle this escalating situation. This madness, he thought. The flight or fight response in him was on high alert, but he did not want to risk hurting Rowanne, especially if he could not bring himself under control.
Slowly pushing her arms down and tucking her legs underneath her, Rowanne got up unsteadily, before finally standing. She wobbled on her legs as she began to lose her footing.
Alexander rushed forward to steady her, his fear momentarily forgotten. Abruptly, he went flying across the room, and was slammed into the wall by a tremendous force.
Standing before him, Rowanne said, ‘No more. No more will I be weak. No more shall I rely solely on you to save me. It is abhorrent to us to be weak, cowardly and quaking in fear of the unknown. I shall not stand for it, Alexander of the Black Rose Clan,’ her voice dripped ice, and the temperature of the room suddenly dropped to almost freezing. The lights went out, and an unearthly glow surrounded Rowanne. ‘I have now awakened, and I know you.’
‘Who are you?’ Alexander asked, afraid.
‘You will know soon enough...’
‘Why have you come here and possessed this human?’ Alexander didn’t want to show that he had any interest in Rowanne just in case the entity, or whatever it was, should use it against him by harming her.
‘Did you think that you could play with the laws of nature, break the Laws of our World, and actually expect to get away with it?! That is both arrogant and foolish. There are always consequences...’ the voice shouted before whispering, ‘no matter who you are...’
‘But who are you?’ reiterated Alexander, satisfied that his voice had come out steady. He was more interested than ever to find out the mystery behind who or what this being was. Or had been, he added as an afterthought.
‘I am Rowanne Knight,’ her voice was back to its acidic icy tone. ‘Half human, half demon and half...’ The entity laughed, before abruptly breaking off. ‘I shall not recollect our conversations in my human form.’ The entity began to weaken at its first attempt at possession, and suddenly it was too much to hold on to the body, and helplessly it slipped from its control. Rowanne’s body slumped to the ground, like a puppet whose strings were abruptly cut.
Alexander rushed forward and caught Rowanne in his arms. He held her to him, feeling the other stronger presence gone for the moment. Temporarily retreated, he thought uneasily.
He carried her to the bedroom. Laying her gently down onto the bed, he moved her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ears, and systematically checked whether she had hurt herself. Her breathing was even, but her mind when he reached for it felt disturbed. There were a few cuts and bruises, and an especially nasty one on her forehead, from when she’d hit the window and collapsed to the floor. Lucky for you, thought Alexander wearily, the scatter cushions in front of the window took the rest of the impact.
Alexander’s eyes turned green as he lay his hand on her head. His energy flared into Rowanne as it made its way through her body; repairing any and all damage it had taken.
The yin yang tattoo started to reappear on Rowanne’s left shoulder. Black and white energy emanated from the tattoo engulfing her body, as well as moving towards Alexander, and his body, too was briefly encased in this temporary cocoon of light.
Upon reaching Alexander, it seemed to suck the essence from him, as tendrils of energy passed back into Rowanne. The energy intensified to such an uncomfortable point that he grabbed a hold of Rowanne’s hand, to steady himself. As he had done on that fateful night of their first encounter.
He could not believe that it had just been a couple of nights ago, four to be exact, since he’d saved this unknown woman from an attack by demons. Unfortunately for him, he’d been unsuccessful, distracted as he’d been by his own sense of importance and pride. Everyone knew what pride led to, and his had led to the death of the woman lying before him. My penance or price, as he thought disgustedly, was losing my immortality.
He’d have to live with it, but to come to terms with it would take a lifetime; Would a human span do? he wondered darkly, as his face was warped by vehemence, and his inner turmoil raged in his heart, in his very being. The consequences of that night are far reaching, and even I can’t predict what will happen, he thought, as the energy slowly and painfully drained from his body, taking with it all the intense emotions that he had been feeling.
Exhausted, Alexander looked down at Rowanne; she seemed to be doing well. He released her hand carelessly, so that it flopped back down on the bed, laying still by her side. Standing up he squared his shoulders, his eyes hooded with an unnamed emotion, and he made his way out of her apartment.
CHAPTER 6
Rowanne woke in a daze and glanced at h
er clock worried, but thankfully it was only six am, so she did not have to worry about work just yet. Trying to gather her bearings, she tried to recollect the evening before.
Slowly it began to come back to her in stages. There was a lightning storm, the lights in the apartment went out... an uncomfortable feeling settled over her, as she pieced the events together. I walked towards the window and tripped... a memory of her laying sprawled out in front of the window flashed in her mind, and quickly she examined her face, but could not feel any bumps or cuts.
Rowanne went to the bathroom to make certain, and switching on the light, looked into the mirror. Her exhausted eyes looked back at her, dark circles underneath; no doubt from my less than restful nights! Other than that, there weren’t any bruises on her face. She examined her body, which also seemed to be fine, nothing indicating that she had fallen at all. This is really weird, she thought uneasily.
How did I get to the bed, if I fell unconscious...? Rowanne did not like unanswered questions; especially when it concerned her. Her hands curled and uncurled in agitation.
Maybe after regaining consciousness, I dragged myself to bed before passing out again. Truth be told, she had her doubts. ‘I can’t explain this!’ she shouted in frustration.
As she tried to recollect, pain suddenly flared through her mind. Screaming she clutched her head, and just about managed to sit down. Think about something else, I have to try and think about something else. As soon as Rowanne distracted her mind away from her quandary, the pain slowly and excruciatingly abated. This is seriously annoying! she thought, beyond exasperated with this painful amnesia, for lack of a better explanation. She considered visiting the doctor to try and get to the bottom of it.
She pushed her problems to the back of her mind and made her morning coffee. Flipping open her laptop she checked the day’s mail, and then changed for work. She was just tucking her navy blue, silk shirt into her skinny trousers, when her phone rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Good morning, Ms Knight. I’m calling from Westminster Police Station.’
‘How may I help you?’ asked Rowanne. Despite feeling nervous she managed to keep her voice steady.
‘I believe one of my colleagues phoned you yesterday regarding today’s afternoon appointment?’
Rowanne’s heart raced as if she were running a marathon. ‘Yes, I believe the appointment was for four.’
‘Unfortunately the time has been pushed back to six. I know this is rather late notice, and I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you, but the Detective Chief Inspector would appreciate it if you could come down in the evening.’
Rowanne considered this to be a godsend, as she really had to get down to the new offices this morning to sort out her work, and at least she’d have time to prepare. ‘That’s fine. I can rearrange some of the appointments that I have today. Please inform the Detective Chief Inspector to expect me at six.’
‘Thank you, Ms Knight. Good day to you.’
Hanging up the phone, Rowanne took a few deep breaths to centre herself. I know what I have to do, and for the first time in days, she felt more like her confident self.
Brushing her hair, she pinned it up, and slipped into her ankle boots. She applied her makeup in the bathroom mirror. Looking back at her was a beautiful woman with sharp, clear green eyes lined in kohl, long lashes accentuated with mascara. She applied blusher, and finished with a lipstick in the shade of autumn leaves. That’s better, she thought, and, grabbing her coat, went off to face an uncertain future.
In the lift, she quickly glanced over the work to be handed in; being a perfectionist, she could not help but go through it one last time. Finding everything to be in order, she slid it carefully back into her soft, leather satchel.
The sun glinted off the lift, illuminating the glassy interior, and Rowanne closed her eyes, feeling her spirits lift as the light played across her face, warming her within. She was excited at finally seeing the new offices, and being around people again.
Even the pending police appointment did not bother her as much as it had earlier. Rowanne felt the nip of the crisp, cold day as she stepped out of the lift, a reminder that November was only two days away. The day felt full of promise. I can do this, she chanted, and the last of her tension melted away.
Rowanne drove west on Westminster Bridge, and once over it turned right onto Victoria Embankment. She was happy that the traffic was good today, and smiling she tuned the radio to Classic FM as her mind sorted and catalogued the things that would need her attention for the day ahead.
In no time at all, she pulled up in front of her office building. The newspaper had been relocated to a grand building which had been renovated ten years ago into office space. Prior to this it had sat proudly amongst the other great names of the publishing world of Fleet Street. Other organizations shared the building alongside the newspaper, which held a respected position. She drove past the angel fountain covered in a layer of frost just as sunlight glanced off it creating the illusion that it was winking at her as it sparkled. She took it as an omen of good things to come.
Parking her car, she walked back past the angel fountain, oblivious of the fact that it had been disturbed by a stray gust of wind, causing ripples in the otherwise tranquil surface.
Rowanne was met with security outside the building.
‘Good morning, Ms Knight.’
‘Morning. I haven’t seen you before.’
‘I’m here as a temporary replacement. I’m to inform all employees of the paper that the offices have been relocated until the investigation is completed. If you just follow me, I’ll escort you to the new location.’ The guard checked Rowanne’s name off against his list.
Following behind, Rowanne contemplated that the new guy was younger than Thomas, no more than twenty-five. He was tall, with black hair and brown eyes, and generally indiscriminate features. Maybe it was a requirement within security jobs that you simply look tough and fade into the background.
‘Sorry, but I don’t believe I caught your name?’ she asked.
‘John,’ he replied over his shoulder, as he continued to lead the way through the building.
She was less than impressed by his surly demeanour. Would it kill people to be decent now and again?
They passed through the large, engraved wooden doors, and made their way to the lifts. Most of the original building had been preserved as the contract of sale had passed through English Heritage, who had stipulated that most of the original features were to be left untouched.
The entrance hall had a high ceiling with huge crystal chandeliers complementing the interior perfectly. The original stone bricks had been cleaned and restored to their original warm ivory tone. They passed the reception desk adjacent to the wide curved stone staircase; the centrepiece of the hall.
They went up in the glass lift, all the more to admire the interior. Looking up, Rowanne could make out the gargoyles and faces carved into the ceiling. Breathtaking, she thought. It afforded one the chance to really observe the features of the building which otherwise would have been lost to obscurity; from the ground it was difficult to appreciate their finer intricacies.
‘John, I thought the offices were relocated to the ground floor?’
‘They were, Ms Knight, but a burst pipe caused the offices to flood.’
‘Where are they now?’
‘The top floor. Or, one wing of the top floor, I should say.’
She was silent for the rest of the way up. She could finally go back to what she loved doing the most. She had butterflies in her stomach, and felt excited and scared, caught in the middle of these two polar emotions. Get a grip, honestly! She felt like a violin, whose strings were too finely tuned and if the pegs were tightened anymore, she might break.
Getting out of the lift, she briefly stopped to glance at her appearance in an office window. Her sparkling green eyes stared back, although dark rings encased her irises, a sign of all the stress she’d been feel
ing lately. Her smile was brittle. Damn it, pull yourself together, she thought.
Giving herself a stern rebuke did nothing for her nerves, but she managed not to channel manic into her appearance. At least that was something. Taking a couple of deep breaths she continued to follow the security guard down the hallway.
To Rowanne it felt like her first day at work again, her heart racing the closer she got. They walked along a corridor, and passed under arches; these small sections were open to the elements, although they did have a roof covering. She felt a slight breeze, as they were near the top of this massive building, and some of these courtyards linked corridors together. There were, however, glass doors at either end protecting the interior space from damage. The architecture was a marriage of the past with the present: old brick work seamlessly joined with glass.
Rowanne finally reached the new reception desk, and was given a pass by the receptionist. She smiled up at the woman in the black suit, realising that she too was new, and wondered how many more employees had joined their newspaper.
‘Good morning. I’m Amanda.’
Rowanne thought that the woman was probably in her early twenties, if not twenty-two. She was tall, which was evident as she came around the desk to shake her hand, and her long straight blonde hair framed her heart shaped face.
‘Nice to meet you. I’m Rowanne Knight.’ She felt instantly at ease with this woman whom she had only just met. She didn’t know whether it was her friendly demeanour or the way her smile reached her eyes, letting you know that she was actually happy to meet you, rather than a polite formality.
‘Ms Knight, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I have read all of your award winning articles. Eileen has been briefing me over the last two days, and speaks warmly of you-’
‘I have to stop you right there,’ said Rowanne shaking her head, and raising an eyebrow, ‘she’d no more speak warmly of me than the rest of the team. You nearly had me there for a moment!’
Demon World Page 6
