by R. J. Rogers
Curiously I begin to walk further through the building to see what else I might come across. I can’t figure out why but for some reason I feel as though I’m being pulled in one specific direction. Before I know it, I am standing in front of a stairwell leading down into what I can only assume is probably a creepy basement/cellar. Hesitating for a second, I decide to take the plunge and quickly make my way down the steps.
Totally right! Creepy doesn’t begin to describe this place. A shiver courses through my body as I take in my surroundings. The walls are built out of stone and could pass for a dungeon. There aren’t near as many books down in this dark, damp area but there are a few. It feels like the place that time forgot. I couldn’t even fathom a guess as to when the last person was down here. Between the spiderwebs, spiders and inches of dust coating everything, I would say it’s been at least a decade.
Something catches my eye and I look to see light flickering in between some of the stones. At first, I don’t think much about it, passing it for sunlight. But as I contemplate the angle of the light, I realize there is no possible way it could be coming from the sun. I’m in a cellar, duh! Now intrigued, I walk over to the corner and begin to run my hands along the stones. Low and behold, one of the stones is loose. Ever so slowly I wiggle the stone out and lie it on the floor by my feet.
Nervously I stick my hands inside the hole and gasp. Grabbing whatever my hands have touched, I pull the item out and am now holding what appears to be an extremely old book. I pick the stone up and hurriedly place it back in its spot. I then turn on my heel and dash back up the stairs.
I go to the closest table that has a lamp on it and sit the book down. As I go to open it though, the floor under my feet rumbles. Each time I reach out to open it, the ground rumbles and now the earth is shaking as well. I decide to just flip the book open quickly. Light erupts from the book and the world around me begins to fall apart. Full on earthquake! I try to stand from my seat and fall. With each attempt to stand, the ground shakes harder. Items begin to fall and crash down around me. I throw my arms up to cover my head. I feel like I am being personally shook by mother nature herself at this point.
An ear-splitting noise sounds above me, and I look to the ceiling. I watch frozen in fear as it crumbles down and then I scream out. “Al, Ali! Wake up, you’re okay, it was just a dream.” I hear a deep soothing voice and feel someone gently shaking me awake. Opening my eyes, I peer into very concerned slate-gray eyes.
“Hey handsome,” I whisper to Nic.
“So,” he says with a crooked grin. “What ya doing sleeping by Natalie’s door?”
I shrug before offering an answer. “I was hoping to talk with her about something. I guess I must have fallen asleep while waiting for her. Do you know where she might be?”
“Oh, um,” Dominic seems to hesitate, like he doesn’t really want to say. “She went back to the Academy. She still has to maintain her appearance there as a teacher.”
“Well damn.” My disappointment quite evident in my voice.
Nic offers me his hand and pulls me to a standing position, the blue-white chord instantly wraps around our hands offering a calming support I didn’t know I needed. “Would you like me to walk back with you to your room?”
I nod my head yes and Dominic leads me down the hallway. When we arrive at my door Nic places a kiss upon my forehead before saying; “have a good night, love. I will see you tomorrow.”
He goes to leave but I pull him back to me. “Would you stay with me tonight,” I ask, looking into his eyes pleading silently with him to stay. “I don’t want to be alone.” He nods his head and then follows me inside.
Shutting the door behind me, a blush creeps up my neck. Fearful that he may have the wrong idea on why I want him to stay with me, I turn to inform him that I don’t want him here for sex, but he places his index finger against my lips rendering me silent. “You don’t have to explain why you want me here. I will always be here for you, no matter the reason.”
Turning from him, I go to the bathroom, so I can change into pajama’s which consist of just an over-sized tee-shirt and shorts. Opening the door back up, I slowly make my way back to the bedroom, suddenly very shy. Taking in his appearance, I can’t help but sigh in appreciation. Nic is sitting on the edge of my bed in just the jeans he wore, his shirt is draped over the back of my desk chair, leaving him bare chested. He flexes his muscular arms and chest unconsciously, I think… His soft black hair is disheveled as though he has run a hand through it more than a few times while I was in the restroom.
Dominic shifts his stare from the floor to me as I get closer. And instead of saying anything, he stretches his hand out to me. He gently pulls me onto the bed as he moves across it, making room for me to join him. Once my back is snuggled up against his chest, he wraps his arms around me, and whispers in my ear “sweet dreams, love.”
*
The most amazing blue sky is the pleasure I have seeing as I wake up and stretch my body. Mid-stretch I freeze, I have completely forgotten that Nic stayed with me. I turn my head to look at him. Dominic is still asleep, and I can’t help thinking about what he must have looked like as a child because he currently looks very innocent and peaceful. He must have felt me staring at him because his eyes suddenly flutter open and he smiles at me.
I scoot to a sitting position on my bed and debate how to go about asking Nic if he knows about the prophecy. “So Nic, did you know about this prophecy that is about me?”
He looks to me with a questioning gaze, tips his head in contemplation. “There has always just been this legend,” Nic starts off with saying. “One day there will arrive our Savior and this person will be the one to end the conflict between hunters and witches,” he continues. “They will be born of hunter’s blood but possess that of the soul of a witch. Is that what you’re talking?” He asks as he unconsciously picks up my hand and rubs his thumb over the back of my hand.
I shake my head no, “but have you seen the actual written words from a book inside High Priestess’ inner-sanctuary?”
“What are you talking about, Alina?”
“Are you seriously claiming that you’ve never seen the book with the prophecy inside it? It’s quite old, light tan due to age I’m sure. Sort of musty smelling like it had been in a damp room at one point.”
Dominic jumps up, off my bed and begins to pace my room. “Would you go with me to the inner-sanctuary and show me? I would love to see the actual written words!” He exclaims in excitement.
“Uh, I guess so,” I say nervously as I pull my hair up into a pony tail. “Don’t get to excited though, once you see what is written, you’ll understand why you found me sitting outside by Natalie’s door. Also, are we even allowed to go in there uninvited? I mean…” I really wasn’t sure what I was trying to say as my anxiety wanted to kick into high gear at going somewhere we weren’t supposed to be.
Dominic considers my question for a moment before his eyes light up and he says, “wait, today is Tuesday, right? On Tuesdays they hold council meetings down at the coffee shop. They will be there all day. We will be in and out of the inner-sanctuary with none the wiser.” A deviant grin spreads across his lips and I groan my unease. What have I gotten myself into?
Rolling my eyes, I grab clean clothes and go into the bathroom to change.
Chapter17
Nervous doesn’t begin to describe my current state of emotions. With my hand in Dominic’s, he leads me through the corridors that will bring us to the inner-sanctuary. As we near High Priestess’ door we stop abruptly. Nic’s free hand is frozen, hovering just above the brass door knob because we can hear voices coming from within.
“I thought you said there wouldn’t be anyone here?” I press my body up against his arm as I hiss into his ear.
“There shouldn’t be.” I want to question him further, but he shushes me. Yes, he actually shushes me before pressing his ear up against the cloudy, smoked style glass, trying to hear what is being said on
the other side.
“Can you hear what they are saying?” I whisper loudly from behind him. Nic waves me quite as he continues to listen against the door. Suddenly he flips around me and tugs me into the nearest hall where we quickly duck down behind a hutch and in between some free-standing shelving. We can hear footsteps as they pass by us.
I don’t recognize the voice, but I hear someone say, “well, we can always spell her if we have to, to make her comply.”
“That will be a last resort!” High Priestess responds sternly. “We will try reasoning and facts first…” Their voices fade from ear shot and I stand stunned for a second because I know deep down that their conversation was about me. I look to Dominic with wide eyes.
“What was that about?” I ask, hoping he can offer some clarity. Nic shrugs and runs a hand through his hair, before nodding his head.
“Come on, now’s our chance. Let’s go.” He disappears around the corner. A second later his head is peeking back at me, waiting for me to follow him. As I walk through the door way, past Nic, he quietly shuts the door behind us and we walk over to the book shelves. “Do you remember what shelf she grabbed it from Ali?”
“Uh,” I hesitate as I try to recall what wall she was standing by when she took the book from a shelf. “I’m pretty sure she was standing by the wall of books behind her desk.”
We both walk around the High Priestess’ desk and stare at all the books. “What color is it again?” Dominic asks as he glances over to me.
“Light brown, tan and very old looking,” I say as I continue staring at the books. I hear Nic chuckle next to me and look at him in surprise. “What’s so funny?”
He spreads his arms wide across the book shelves, “If you haven’t noticed Alina, most of these books are old.” I crack a smile for my duh moment. A witty retort is at the tip of my tongue but then I spot the book!
“Here it is Nic!” I state excitedly. I pull the book from the wooden shelf and turn, placing it upon the desk so Nic and I can look at it together. “From what I recall, she flipped the pages to the back half of the book before locating the prophecy.”
Dominic nods his head and turns the pages until he finds the one we need. I watch him as he reads the words, paying close attention to his face as he runs through it. I can tell by the shock in his eyes that he genuinely had no clue about my fate. My emotions are in turmoil as I am torn between wanting to comfort him but wanting to accuse him for my current predicament. I know it isn’t really his fault, but he is the closest to me as my pain turns to anger and erupts to full on emotional crisis.
I back away from him, finding myself standing in the center of the room as I explode verbally. “I blame you Dominic,” I shout as I get in his face. Turning away from him, I begin to pace back and forth as I continue my rant. “Before I met you, I was just a girl finishing my senior year. I was the perfect child, had the perfect life! Emanate death was the furthest thought from my mind!” Tears of anger and frustration stream uncontrollably down my face leaving streaks of the person I once was in their wake. “And then you show up and BOOM, the world I know is left in tatters, shattered pieces of my ‘reality’ scattered at my feet.”
“Ali! You have got to get a hold of yourself. Look, this is all you,” he waves his arms about, pointing to our surroundings. The whirlwind of emotions that are now crashing down upon me, are causing loose leaflets of papers to swirl around as though they are caught up in mini tornadoes.
As I hit the pinnacle point of my breakdown, the desk lamp flies across the room, barely missing Dominic’s head before shattering against one of the wood paneled walls, books thud noisily as they crash to the floor from their previous position upon the shelves lining the wall behind the desk that is typically occupied by the High Priestess.
My hair flies wildly about my face as magic tries desperately to erupt from the depths of my soul. My breathing has become erratic and I push the tears off of my cheeks with the backs of my hands.
I inhale deeply trying to get a hold of myself. However, I don’t physically calm down until Dominic has wrapped his strong, safe arms around me. As much as I want to push him away and tell him not to touch me, I realize that he is already supporting most of my weight. I collapse into him, allowing him to fully support me.
I sob uncontrollably into his shoulder and he just wraps his arms around me all the tighter, not caring that his shirt is becoming soaked with my tears. “What are we going to do Dominic? I don’t want to die.”
“I won’t let you die Ali!” He speaks fiercely, tipping my face up to his so he can look into my eyes. “We will find another way to end this war!” He crushes his lips to mine, kissing me deeply. The bond we have felt has only ever grown stronger as the days have gone by and as I kiss him back, I feel our bond change. The chord that links us is solidly stitched together now making our half souls one complete one. Now there is a power trying to break free that is only alive when we touch.
My emotions have slowly reigned back in, I am back in control of myself once more. I look around the room stunned by the amount of destruction I have done in the office. “How do I fix this mess?” Nic chuckles, waves his hand out in front of him, twirling it and I witness the room fix itself; like nothing have been touched!
An idea worms its way through my mind or more of a thought really as I watch the room get put back together and I voice it to Nic; “I want to find Ms. H., I mean Natalie. I would like to see if she has knowledge of this doomed prophecy of mine, maybe the flip side of it, a hunter’s version…”
“That is a great idea actually. I don’t know why I haven’t thought of questioning her before now.” Nic grabs my hand, inter-locking his fingers with mine and begins to drag me down the hall, out of the church. Pulling me towards the center of their bizarre little city.
“Crap!” Dominic exclaims. “Natalie is still at the Academy. She won’t be back here until Friday evening.” I slump my shoulders in disappointment.
“What can we do until she returns?”
Nic smiles sheepishly at me, “I’ve got a few ideas on how we could pass the time…”
My mouth falls open in shock before I say, “get your mind out of the gutter!” I slap him on the arm.
He laughs at me. “Um, I don’t know what you were thinking but I was going to say we could start your magic training.” My face flushes bright red at his statement.
I giggle and disagree with him. “Whatever, you were totally thinking naughty thoughts!” Quickly I change the subject and asks if he is hungry because I am suddenly famished.
*
Wednesday morning at about 3 a.m. I wake up screaming in excruciatingly, blinding white-hot pain. Searing throughout my body, I can barely catch my breath. Withering away on my bed, I feel more alone than ever before as I still have no way to contact anyone in my need for help.
I cry out again as another round of pain courses through me. Faintly I hear someone shout my name, but I am unable to answer them. Instead another burst of pure agony escapes my lips. My door suddenly flies open and I can just barely make out Dominic standing in the doorway, encased in bright light as though he is my knight in shining armor.
He runs over to me and scoops me up into his arms, cradling me like a baby. I can hear the buttons on his cell phone being hit and it ringing. Someone picks up on the other end, but I can’t make out who he is talking to, nor what is being discussed. A sound consumes my hearing, making it sound like ocean waves crashing down upon me.
“Ali, sweetie, I need you to try and breathe through the pain. Your magical transition is happening. I need you to focus on my voice. Can you hear me, love?”
I summon what strength I have left and nod my head. My eyes try to focus on his face, his lips as he speaks to me, but they are getting heavier and heavier and I know I’m not going to be able to keep them open for more than a few seconds before I slip into the darkness that is hovering around the edges of my mind. I lose my grip on reality and the darkness rolls in like a
tsunami.
Chapter18
Bright white light surrounds me causing me to blink several times. As my vision clears, I realize I’m actually in a white room, floor, walls and ceiling, all white with very bright lighting. Looking around, I take note that the room is void of all furniture, and I am suspended in the air, just floating there.
I have no idea where I am or why I am wherever I may be. “Hello? Is anyone here?” I sigh, not quite sure if I was really thinking there would be a response or not. As I wonder if anyone will speak to me or if I’m utterly alone, my feet start to emanate heat. Swiftly the heat travels the length of my body and before I know it, I am literally on fire!
Blueish white flames are pouring off of me, from the ends of my hair to my fingertips. My head flings back as fire shoots from my mouth, my arms go wide on either side of me as power flows out of my palms as well. Just as I think my body can’t endure much more, I combust! I am nothing and there is nothing, just empty space of nothingness. Once more I have succumbed to the darkness and it seems to sooth my soul, comforting me like an old friend.
“Alina dear, darling, we need you to wake up, to come back to us now. Your episode has passed.” I feel something warm placed on my forehead and a gentle caress along the left side of my face. My eyes slowly open and I find myself peering into the softest, warmest brown eyes I have ever seen, surrounded by crow’s feet, wrinkles and snow-white hair. I am totally in love with the little elderly woman in front of me and I don’t even know her name.
“Hi,” I croak out. My voice not an octave above a whisper.
“Shh,” she croons at me, offering a tender smile. I feel my mattress sink a little as added weight is applied. I look behind the lady to see Dominic has joined us.